You Found Me: ReMastered
by superspreegirl89
Summary: Roxas thought going to college would mean he would move on with his life, not turn it upside down. He also never imagined he would find the person he needed most. All the goodness of the original with a far more expansive world. Rated M for blood, alcohol, self-harm, language, disturbing mental images. AU. Pairings and a few lemons.
1. 1-Welcome to KHU

**A/N-Hello again! (Or for the first time in which hello! Welcome!) Here it is! You Found Me ReMastered! Contains all the yummy goodness of the first with lots of extra details (funny how much a second draft can add to a story XD). I will warn you right now if you do not like smut/slash/general malexmale fluffiness, than please turn around now. O.o I will not be making a citrus free version this time around (if you want to read one see the original citrus free version on my DeviantArt, link's on my profile page). Still do not own anything about Kingdom Hearts (that's all Square's territory). I own no rights, I did not come up with these characters, and all respected rights go to their respected owners. Only thing that's mine is the story. Mentioned song lyrics go to their respected owners (don't own them either). And with that out of the way, read and enjoy my final fic! :D (Bless you all you beautiful readers!) Reviews are wonderful but not mandatory (but they do make me :D).**

The road sped past as the hours continued to drag on. There wasn't much to see on the sides of the road save for the occasional billboard, fence around a farm or pulled over car where someone failed at pretending they weren't speeding when they passed a cop hidden amongst the various ditches. Roxas exhaled loudly and glanced at the clock on his dashboard. The little red number glaring back at him informed him he had been on the road for over six hours. Between taking much needed rest stop breaks to stretch or grab a candy bar form the vending machine, it had taken him almost seven hours to reach his destination.

' _Just a little bit longer and I can finally get off my ass,'_ Roxas thought happily. He scowled as the music station he was followed flipped to a commercial where a couple of men, who clearly didn't want to be in the studio on a Sunday afternoon, chatted idly about a recent murder in the area. Roxas rolled his eyes and punched the CD button on his dashboard, his car filling with the sounds of bass and guitars once more.

"Just keep trying to inform me of your useless shit and I'll just keep caring less," Roxas muttered. His finger tapped incessantly on the steering wheel, informing him the 100 Grand bars he ate an hour ago had worn off. His eyes scanned the horizon and he perked at the sight of a sign with the University logo plastered all over it, pointing him towards an upcoming exit. KHU. Home of the KHU Keyblades. Whatever the heck a Keyblade was Roxas didn't want to find out. He also didn't want to know why the University had to plaster bright pictures of Papou fruit next to their name on everything from brochures to even the free pen they sent Roxas in the mail when his application was accepted. Hell, even the application had a Papou fruit stamped in the corner. Roxas had never liked the tropical fruit and seeing everywhere made him detest it even more.

His car drifted along as it took the leisure exit towards the direction of his new home for the next four years. Or more if he managed to stomach it through grad school. Roxas felt himself almost vomit at the thought of extra school but he reminded himself it was all for a good cause: getting away from home. He had never seen the University in person but reading the nearly glowing reviews online, and seeing it was hundreds of miles away from where he lived, was enough for him to apply. Normally he wouldn't have applied to such a prestigious school but KHU had offered him a scholarship that paid for half of his tuition. Roxas couldn't say no to free money, particularly since he was running off a very light bank account of part time job money he saved up from high school.

As he crested over a large hill, he found his eyes widening at the first impression of KHU. The University was massive. Centered around a large hill, or more of a mountain in Roxas's opinion, dozens of buildings sat near the top where classes took place. In the very center was a skyscraper of an administration building flanked by what Roxas could only guess what the buildings held. At a distance, the place looked more like a castle with the dozens of housing developments surrounding the campus on all sides. Most of the town surrounding the University held the larger chain stores but Roxas had read students hardly needed to leave campus since various 'Mom & Pop' stores offered a variety of cheap food and basic necessities. Roxas's eyes wandered over the expanse of the campus before he became too close to see it all in one view. He took a deep breath to steel his nerves and gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Alright. Just pretend you belong and no one will pay attention to you," Roxas reassured himself. He turned onto the street leading to the entrance and found himself stuck in an extensive queue of cars waiting for their turn. The blonde poked his head out the window to get a better view of what lay ahead. A pair of large, golden gates sat to the right and left of a beautiful stone bridge. Roxas knew the campus was close to the Trinity River but he didn't think the outer edge of the campus _was_ the river. Beyond the gates, he could faintly make out hundreds of dots where students milled about the sweeping campus with their parents or friends. As he crept closer, he could see several people carrying furniture into buildings they were moving into or tightly gripping sheets of paper in their fingers as they desperately sought out the buildings their classes resided in.

Roxas turned down the music on his stereo as he started to approach the bridge. Without the hum of the road filling the car with a loud drone, the music blared against his eardrums, although he honestly didn't mind as that's how he typically listened to music. He figured it was worth a few minutes of background noise as many of the nearby parents were shooting him disapproving looks. The last thing he wanted was to get scolded before he even got to his first class. His fingers drummed on his steering wheel as he waited for his turn to make his way across the bridge. The sounds of Bullet for My Valentine played softly through his speakers while his eyes stare unfocused ahead of him. The drive had drained every last bit of ambition he had and the prospect of unpacking his bags in his new room sounded exhausting.

After nearly an hour of waiting in the queue, Roxas finally made it to the bridge and rolled down his window. He watched as a staff member strode over to his car with a thicker looking tablet in their hand and a walkie talkie strapped to their belt. The man asked for Roxas's information and the blonde handed over his school ID card he had been sent in the mail with his "oh-so-fabulous" pen. He had submitted the photo online so he didn't have to drive for two days just for a piece of plastic, which he was grateful for. Apparently it wasn't all that uncommon for students to live far away from home at KHU since it was a fairly prestigious University.

Roxas glanced over at the staff member as they swiped his card and punched in some information he could only guess at. There was a beep and the tablet and it printed out a small receipt. Roxas was handed the slip of paper with his ID and frowned as the man leaned against the side of his car.

"Alright, so this is your ticket for all of your University information: parking, dorm room assignment, class schedule, book list, etc. Turn this in at the desk in your dorm and they'll get you all of your materials listed on this print out. Parking tags go on the rear window or rear side windows. If you find yourself lost, there are plenty of staff around to give you a hand. You ready?"

"Um, sure," Roxas replied half-heartedly.

The man grinned and patted the window sill. "Well, don't have too much fun while you're here. Welcome to KHU," he greeted.

"Right…" Roxas crept his car forward as another staff member waved him onwards to get the next lot of cars registered. His eyes constantly darted to the sides of the street in case some idiot decided it was safe to cross without looking themselves as he crawled towards the parking ramp near his dorm. He pulled inside the rather large building and found himself a place to sit near the top so there was less traffic. Switching off the ignition, his car was bathed in silence. His ears began to ring and his muscles tingled as though they had endured a seven hour massage.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the car and stretched his sore limbs. Then he piled on the baggage from his backseat onto his shoulders like a pack mule and headed for his dorm. Thankfully, it was only a five minute walk along the sidewalk to where he would be living his freshman year. His first sight of Destiny Hall was rather plain: beige stone accented with sandy colored window trims and plenty of bushes hugging the walls. Stepping inside, he immediately wanted to turn around and go sleep in his car for the next week. The building was packed with students and parents to the point he felt like he was suffocating, although that could just have been the bags stacked on every possible angle of his body.

Roxas shuffled over to the front desk and set down the bundles in his arms before handing a RA his ID and receipt. The RA raised an eyebrow at him before riffling through a bin of thickly filled folders. "I see you're having fun on your first day," the RA teased, his charcoal black hair sticking in nearly all directions with a few pieces falling into the man's eyes. "My name's Vanitas. I'm the fourth floor RA. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Zack. He's the RA on your floor," Vanitas stated, pulling Roxas's folder from the rest. He handed over the folder with the ID and shot Roxas a smirk. "Just watch out for his activity nights. He's pretty persuasive when it comes to dorky get-togethers."

Roxas nodded and accepted his folded, tucking it under his arm while his ID was shoved into the depts of his pockets. "Thanks for the heads up," he stated.

"Sure." Even though Vanitas was wearing the electric yellow RA t-shirt, he offset the sharp color with his dark colored jeans and various onyx rings on his fingers. It was rather refreshing to see someone who looked relatively normal compared to the higher energy staff members floating around.

"Room 506. Feel free to take the stairs because the elevators are packed," Vanitas warned. Roxas nodded and gathered up his belongings before plunging into the sea of people towards the stairs. The less he had to interact with people the better. Reaching his floor, his shoulders were growing sore from the weight of his belongings. He gritted his teeth and pressed onward, shoving past the waves of unpacking freshmen as he tried to find his room.

Seeing the door brought him a wave of relief, although he tensed as he noticed his roommate was already present in the space. He had forgotten about that. He cursed under his breath and hoped at the very least they would have nothing in common so they would leave each other alone. Roxas glanced to the open bed and lazily started tossing his bags on top of it. His roommate turned at the noise and grinned, standing up and rubbing his hands on his pants.

"Hey! You must be my roommate. I'm Pence," the teen greeted. Roxas tossed the last of his bags on the bed, much to his shoulders' relief, and found Pence offering a hand to him. The blonde shook it hesitantly and was surprised at how strong the larger teen's grip was. Pence looked chubby but boy was he strong. He wore a red sports jersey and black shorts to offset the humid temperatures of the dorm while his busy mahogany locks were pushed out of his face with a backwards baseball cap.

It was rather the sharp contrast to what Roxas looked like. His blonde hair was unkempt and looked like it had been through a hurricane. He wore a black tank top and white cargo pants with several pockets littered down the sides. His wrists sported several varieties of bracelets and cuffs while a black dog collar hung low on his neck. His ears were pierced with a pair of small black loops, ending in a point behind his lobes. With some face paint, he might have been a long lost member of Kiss.

"Roxas," the blonde introduced without much emotion. The pair's hands disconnected and Pence started shoving his things out of the way to allow Roxas some space to unpack himself.

"Nice to meet you, Roxas. Is that all you brought with you?" Pence asked, nodding to the bags piled on the bed.

"No, I have more in my car."

"Want some help?" Roxas paused for a moment as he was taken aback by Pence's offer. Usually people avoided him and he disliked people touching his stuff, however the dull ache in his shoulders told him he shouldn't be so stubborn.

"Sure. Let me find my parking pass first and find my room keys," Roxas replied. Pence nodded and mentioned he was ready to go whenever the blonde was. Roxas dug through his folder and pocketed his room keys. He found his parking pass, which looked like a crown for some reason, and shoved it into his pocket next to his ID. Then he motioned to Pence and they left to retrieve the rest of Roxas's belongings. "Wouldn't you rather be unpacking?" Roxas asked.

"Nah, it's cool," Pence replied, tucking his arms behind his head. "My parents are bringing in the rest of my shit now and it gets a bit crowded with eight people in the room."

"Eight?!" Roxas spluttered. Pence burst out laughing.

"Yeah. Everyone wanted to help me move in, although I was totally fine with just my parents. What about you? Any family helping?" the brunette asked.

Roxas shook his head. "No. I didn't want them to come." Pence frowned but didn't press, which the blonde was rather grateful for. They walked the rest of the way in silence, Pence pausing twice to wave to people calling out to him. Roxas felt the feeling of vomiting returning to his gut but pushed past it to make it through the day.

Reaching the top floor, Roxas pointed to his car and began walking towards it. Pence stopped short and whistled, his eyes absorbing the details of the vehicle. "Holy Shit. How the heck can you afford to drive this thing?!" Pence asked, hurrying over to where Roxas was popping open the trunk of his Lexus. The blonde shrugged and frowned at the contents of the rear compartment.

"Birthday gift from my dad," Roxas replied. "Although it's the last gift I ever got from my parents. Mom doesn't like spending money on me." The blonde quickly bit his tongue before he said anymore. Pence frowned and nudged Roxas on the side.

"Hey, it's cool. I know a lot of people here come from bad families and go to college to escape," Pence stated. He grabbed a couple of totes after slinging a bag onto his shoulder. "Don't feel like you have to tell me anything." Roxas felt a bit better with Pence's words and figured the brunette wouldn't be that of a roommate. At the very least he knew how to mind his own business. "Besides, I can't help being jealous of your sweet ride. I'm stuck with my mom's van." Roxas felt a flicker of a smirk tease his lips and the pair gathered the contents of the trunk before heading back to their room.

When they returned, they found even more tote boxes and bags piled up in the center of the room. The pair shifted the horde of belongings so they could place Roxas's down beside them. Pence wiped his sweaty brow and took stock of what they had in their room. A small frown passed over his features.

"You know, you didn't bring much," the brunette noticed, seeing his pile was at least twice as large as the blonde's.

Roxas shrugged and began opening up bags to put his clothes in the closet. "I didn't have much to bring," he replied. Pence opened his mouth to press for details but shut it again as he remembered what Roxas had said in the parking ramp.

The boys unpacked around each other in relative silence, their only vocalized words were muttered apologies for being in each other's way. Soon their wardrobes were packed with clothes and desks covered in their personal effects. The boys agreed to loft their beds to save on space in the cramped quarters so Roxas had his bed put on the upper bunk. Must to Roxas's distaste, they had to have an RA help them with the process, which meant an overtly vehement handshake from Zack as he introduced himself. The man refused to even leave the room until Pence agreed to come to the RA's floor meet-and-greet that upcoming Monday night. Roxas was thankful for dodging the bullet but Pence looked less than pleased about attending the event.

The pair finished off the room once Zack left, Pence shoving his mini fridge and microwave in the corner. He was kind enough to offer Roxas use of the devices as he saw fit. They each picked a wall to place their posters with Roxas needing more space than his roommate, although Pence thought it was fair as he had more floor space. The brunette had a Deathly Hallows poster hanging near his desk while Roxas had several metal and rock posters ranging from Slip Knot to Five Finger Death Punch peppering the wall.

Pence reached his arms above his head and stretched his tired limbs. "Well, I have to go meet up with my folks. I think we're grabbing snacks somewhere. You're welcome to join us if you want," the brunette offered.

"Nah. I need to get to the bookstore," Roxas replied. He really had no ambition to meet Pence's family or be around other people who wanted to pry information.

"Okay. I'll see you later," Pence said with a small wave. He pocketed his keys and took his leave from the room, leaving Roxas alone to his thoughts. Taking once last look around, he figure he should actually do what he made an excuse for evading interpersonal contact. Roxas doubled checked he had his keys and slipped out of the room, locking the door behind him. As he wandered across campus, he dug out a piece of paper he had tucked into his pocket earlier containing his class schedule and book list. His eyes glanced over the overpriced texts with a scowl.

As he had expected, the bookstore was like visiting Disney World during peak season. Everyone talked far too loud while they squeezed through cramped aisles to reach their books and last minute school supplies. Roxas managed to find a gap near a water fountain to check over his list again, tapping his empty basket against his legs. ' _English Lit, Chem I, Physics I, Intro to Engineering, Intro to Architecture, University Studies, Advanced Trig and Algebra,'_ he read. ' _Well, at least it will keep me busy.'_ He stowed the list and pressed his way back into the crowd, the overbearing sensation of claustrophobia nagging at his mind.

Once he had all his books in his basket, he went to find the line and instead found the queue snaked through the bowels of the store. Roxas steeled himself for the long wait and ventured to the end of the line. During the wait, he retrieved his phone from his pocket and started roaming the internet. His basket of books, which felt like it weighed fifty pounds, sat nestled by his feet so he could toe it forward each time the line moved. It didn't help he needed eight different books for his Literature class and they took up half the space in the plastic vessel.

"Hey, no cutting!" he heard someone growl. Roxas felt his nerves fray has he was abruptly shoved into the girl ahead of him, his feet tripping over his basket. The girl gave a shout and scolded Roxas for not paying attention while the blonde regained his footing. Deciding it wasn't worth the effort of arguing, he turned to glare at the person behind him. He found a tall, platinum blonde man with a black, knit cap on his head, white vest, and ripped jeans. The pair of blondes exchanged glares before Roxas ripped his gaze away and found himself glancing at the line snaking out behind him. He hadn't realized he had moved so far, although checking the time on his phone alerted him he had been in line for over an hour.

The second he left the bookstore, Roxas couldn't have been happier. With his shoulders weighted down with fabric bags, printed with the heinous Papou fruit logo, Roxas stepped outside and released a sigh of relief. He found himself torn between following the crowd in finding his classes or to retreat back to his room. Double checking his class list, he failed to recognize any of the names of the buildings. He internally groaned and hoisted his books higher onto his shoulders. His room would have to wait. Getting lost on the first day of class was not on his list of priorities.

Roxas stuffed the list back into his pocket and checked the time on his phone as his feet began guiding him towards one of the large maps located on the campus. He was rudely interrupted as he slammed into another person and bounced off, his fingers almost losing the grip on his phone in the process.

"Watch it!" the man protested.

"Speak for yourself, asshole," Roxas shot back, adjusting the bags on his shoulders. The stranger towered over him with a large mass of red hair splayed out down his neck and on his shoulders. Roxas wondered how he wasn't sweltering in the late summer heat but his thoughts were interrupted by the red head's friend.

"It's just a freshman. He's not worth your time," the other male state, his head sporting a strangely stylized mullet. The red head nodded and brushed passed Roxas, purposely slamming his shoulder into the blonde's. Roxas shot the pair the finger before angrily turning back towards the campus map.

It was over an hour before he dropped his bags on the floor of his dorm room. His shoulders were numb and his tank top felt like it was glued to his back. Pence was still missing so Roxas took a moment to put his books away before hitting the showers. The cold water felt good on his sweat-caked skin. He scrubbed his body raw before running his locks under the stream of water. He felt his head clearing of the pressure that had built up behind his skull since the moment he stepped on campus. Deeming himself clean, he ventured back to his room and lied on his bunk, his eyes staring unfocused at the ceiling. A million thoughts wanted to race through his mind but Roxas never gave them the chance. He covered his ears with his headphones and let his brain wash away all hints of musings with the blasting music.

His eyes blinked the film from his gaze as he was awakened by Pence returning to the room. Roxas rolled onto his side and glanced at the time on his MP3. Apparently he had fallen asleep as it was now venturing on the evening hours.

"Oh, hey," Pence greeted, noting Roxas was awake. "I'm about to head down to supper here if you want to join. I'm meeting up with a couple of friends at the dining hall." Roxas wanted to make another excuse so he didn't have to leave the comfort of his bed but the gaping hole in his stomach reminded him his candy bars were a figment of the past.

"Sure. Why not," Roxas muttered. He rolled out of bed and attempted to fix his hair before the pair ventured to the dining hall a block over.

And by dining hall, Roxas was sure it was more like a five star restaurant. Tables were covered in white satin tablecloths and set with china, silverware wrapped in cloth napkins, and various table décor. In the center of the domed ceiling hung a massive chandelier littered with thousands of crystals. Large columns lined the sides while a vast mural spread across the ceiling. Various fairy tale stories were depicted from Alice in Wonderland to Sleeping Beauty to Pinocchio.

Pence led Roxas over to a smaller table where two other people sat, the girl giving a large wave as they approached. There he was introduced to Hayner and Olette, old friends of Pence from high school. Olette was rather bubbly while Hayner thought far too highly of himself, and yet Roxas found he didn't abhor the company. If anything, he didn't have to eat alone during his evening meals. The group coordinated their schedules to figure out who could eat together for breakfast and lunch. Roxas found he would be eating alone in the mornings, not that he minded, and Olette was thrilled she could eat lunch with him three times a week. The other two days Roxas would be eating with Pence. The food served in the dining hall was just as good as the table settings, although according to Olette it was only fancy during special events such as the start of semesters and holidays. Once Monday came the food would go back to being generic.

With their meal finished, the group parted ways. Pence and Roxas settled down for the night with the brunette watching a movie on his laptop with a bag of popcorn in his lap. Roxas found himself browsing the internet with a bored expression the rest of the evening. When Pence finished his movie, they got ready for bed and retired for the night. Pence fell asleep in minutes, snoring softly from his lower bunk. Roxas put on his bulky headphones and turned on his MP3 player to drown out every possible sound around him. With heavy metal crashing against his ears, he slipped off to sleep.

XxXxX

The next morning was technically still a day off from classes, however freshmen were required to go to a mandatory assembly to learn about the University, codes of conduct, honor systems and other various garbage Roxas didn't care about. He had been dragged along by Pence, despite his attempts to burrow deeper under his covers, and sat with his new meal group. Olette worked on filing her nails while Hayner fell asleep on his arm about halfway through. Roxas kept himself busy with the use of his phone but even that could only drown out so much of the monotone speakers.

The entire freshman student body praised the sun when they were told they were dismissed from the ginormous stadium, which Roxas learned was used for basketball and volleyball when classes weren't using it. Pence broke off with Hayner and Olette as they wanted to leave the University to explore the city outside of the campus to which Roxas declined his invitation to tag along. The blonde was still dreaming of going back to sleep under his now cold sheets. On the way back to his room he picked up a soda from a vending machine yet by the time he reached his room the summer heat had taken what little chill was left in the beverage.

The blonde sat at his desk and stared out the window that took up most of the far wall behind their desks. He watched people mill about, either returning to their dorms or leisurely enjoying their day off. With a sigh, he looked up at the books lined up on the shelf of his desk. His fingers picked one at random and he flipped through the pages with little interest. When he returned it to its hole, he noticed the math book sitting on the end and cringed. It looked more like a gravestone than an actual piece of literature. Roxas averted his gaze and tried not to think about the torture he would have to endure during the semester with his math class. He wasn't bad at mathematics; he just took twice as long to comprehend what was on the page than everyone else, which made it his least favorite subject.

The rest of the day went by in a monotonous drone. Roxas sat around his room with vague attempts to trying to hold his interest in just about anything only to find his mind zoning out. He only left to eat supper alone and to strategically "go to the bathroom" when he heard Zack knocking on doors for his meet-and-greet. Roxas silently applauded Pence's excuse to leave the campus as he too managed to avoid the corny event looming close over their heads. The brunette came back to the room late with various bags of his purchases to find Roxas lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. He managed to coax Roxas out of his perch to watch a Japanese horror flick, although Pence wondered which zombies were more realistic: the ones in the movie or the one sitting next to him.

Tuesday came with the many groans of students across the campus. Roxas found himself waking to Pence's alarm, cursing himself for not making a longer playlist to listen to as he slept. He was used to waking up at noon or later over the summer and Pence's 7:00 AM wakeup call was not what he wanted. Yet he was a bit grateful for the alarm from snapping out of his deeper realms of sleep as he had to be up at7:15 for his 8:30 class anyway. Through squinted eyes, he watched Pence practically drag himself out of bed, grab a towel and shuffle to the bathroom with his toothbrush in his mouth. Roxas closed his eyes and prayed he would fall asleep again until his own alarm went off. The blonde cursed when he had no such luck and moved with the robust energy of a sloth verging on a coma as he got ready for his first class.

Stumbling into the dining hall an hour later, he found the fancy atmosphere had vanished into fiction like the characters hovering over his head. Roxas toasted a bagel and took it with him to his English Literature class. His backpack barely pressed on his shoulders, as it only contained a notebook, folder, pen, pencil and calculator, yet even the light pressure hurt his sore shoulders. The blonde nibbled on his bagel to help keep his mind off of the pain. Despite not having an appetite in the morning, he had been scolded by his parents for passing out in class during grade school for skipping the meal. So, Roxas forced down the bland piece of carbohydrate in order to give his body some sort of nutrients to chew on while he listened to his professor lecture.

He found his classroom and picked a seat near the back of the room, settling in his desk as he waited for the class to start. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched more students fill the space with equal sleep deprived faces, save for the few upper classman who were smart enough to go to bed at a decent time. Roxas checked his phone was on vibrate when a flash of color caught his eye.

The man with the red hair.

Roxas blinked. The man sat in the seat directly in front of him and, guessing by how the man made no notion of recognition, he either didn't notice Roxas sitting behind him or was simply ignoring the blonde. ' _Who is this guy?'_ Roxas leaned to the side as the man rifled through his backpack to get a better look at his face. ' _Definitely not a freshman but he's too old to be a sophomore. Did he fail the class before?'_ Roxas snickered to himself but was cut off from further musings as their professor walked in.

The class was run by Professor Xehanort, a bald man with a very hunched posture. He spoke gently in a monotone-ish voice and yet Roxas found himself compelled to listen to the man's every word. He made the stories seem enthralling instead of pieces of dying literature that needed one last chance in the spotlight before fading into obscurity. Roxas couldn't remember the last time he was so invested in what a person was lecturing.

During the middle of class, the girl next to Roxas received a text, announcing the message's arrival to the class with a loud PING! Master Xehanort stopped short in his lecture as the girl awkwardly turned her phone on silent with a sheepish smile and an apology. Roxas rolled his eyes and turned back to the front. He froze as he noticed the read head was staring at him from over his shoulder, a single piercing green eye cutting through him like a hot blade. As Xehanort began speaking again, the red head turned forward to continue his notes. Roxas forced himself to return to his own notebook, finding it harder to concentrate than before.

' _I swear I've seen that look before,'_ Roxas thought. ' _But where?'_ When the class ended at 9:50, Roxas shoved his belongings into his backpack so he could flee from the room with the rest of the students in a hurry to their next class. He wove his way through campus until he stood outside the Administration building, the skyscraper casting a shadow over him as the sun continued to rise. He turned to head back to his dorm when he slammed into someone's chest. As he muttered an apology, he found himself face to face with the red head from class. Roxas's eyes widened while the piercing green eyes narrowed. Then the red head walked around him without another word.

That evening, Roxas couldn't get the stranger out of his head. He mused over the familiar expression while his teeth gnawed on his pencil eraser, his eyes staring blankly at the first few pages of ' _A Tale of Two Cities'_. It had been an hour and he had yet to turn the page. Shaking himself out of his thought stupor, he glanced over at Pence, who with an equal amount of attention at his notes sprawled out before him on his desk.

"So what are you reading?" Roxas asked. Pence jumped at the sound of his roommate's voice since he wasn't expecting it. Roxas typically kept to himself, hardly speaking even when he was with Hayner and Olette, so it was odd to find him starting a conversation.

"Oh, uh, anatomy," Pence replied, shuffling some of his papers around. "We have to memorize the anatomical terms by Thursday."

"Like axillary and sacral?" Roxas asked, his mind vaguely remembering the topic from high school.

"Yeah!" Pence chuckled. "Yeah…I'm probably screwed. What about you? I see you're thoroughly invested in your book."

Roxas smirked and shut the lid on his book, deciding to read it later, and set his mutilated pencil on the desk. "I'm just a bit distracted, I guess. It wasn't my idea to take a Lit class but that's what was open at the time."

"Oh, that's your elective this semester?" Roxas nodded. "Gross. Reading is the absolute worst! But I suppose that's better than what I got. Go ahead and guess. I bet you ten bucks you won't get it," Pence urged.

The blonde thought about it for a moment. "Badmitten."

"Pottery I."

Roxas burst out laughing. "That's fucking stupid."

"I know right? What am I supposed to do with pottery skills when I'm out in the working world? I doubt my knowledge of making pinch pots will save a company from going under," Pence ranted.

"What are you going for?" Roxas asked, pulling his legs up onto his chair.

"Undecided. You?" Pence shot back.

"Same, although I was thinking maybe engineering or architecture," the blonde stated. Pence whistled, leaning back in his chair.

"That's some heavy stuff. I heard you need some crazy high grades to make it into the programs," Pence recalled.

Roxas shrugged. "I'm not worried about the grades."

Pence thought it over for a moment when realization hit him. "Right. You got that scholarship from the test scores. You're lucky the campus is paying for half your ride. My grad-dad's paying for my tuition this first year but then I'm on my own. Which means loans, loans and more loans. It'll be a miracle if I get out of debt before forty," Pence mused with a frown.

"Are you working at all?" Roxas asked.

Pence shook his head. "Not yet. I'm thinking of getting a job at one of the gigs here on campus so I don't have to commute. I'm guessing you're not going to work."

"I never really had a need to get one before." Roxas poked at his pencil while Pence returned to his desk. The brunette glanced at the clock and moaned.

"Ugh…I think I'm turning in early. Morning classes are brutal! Whoever thought of them should be checked into a mental institution." Roxas snorted and tried to hide the smile that broke out on his face, but Pence caught it. The brunette broke into a grin. "So you do smile!"

"I'm not dead," Roxas shot back. Pence chuckled and started packing away his notes. The blonde looked back to his book and opened the cover. His thoughts instantly returned to the mysterious red head and all ambition to read suddenly evaporated.

XxXxX

Roxas was ready to snap his pencil in half with the way he was gripping it. He glared at the text in his math book as he failed to decipher any sort of meaning from the pages. "This is so fucking stupid," the blonde growled. He released an angry huff before trying another problem with similar results. For the first time ever he wished he had someone to help him. He would have even sufficed with Pence, however the brunette was away at a night class so he was left alone to smash his brain against the evil of his math homework.

His mind flicked to Pence's friends, although he dismissed Hayner without another thought as the cocky teen was planning on passing college with a C average. Biting his lip, he sent Olette a text in hopes she would be able to give him some idea as to what he should be doing. Yet his hopes weren't high as Olette was going into communications, which did not require higher levels of math. His eyes flicked to his phone went it screamed at him like a grunge band singer, alerting he had a text.

From: Olette  
Try a tutor

Roxas frowned at Olette's text. He had heard there was a tutor center at the library for students struggling with their subjects yet Roxas detested the notion he would have to stoop so low as to grovel for assistance. Running a hand through his hair, he stared off out the window at the purple sky. "It can't be any worse than what I'm doing here," he reasoned. After ten more minutes of brooding, he shoved his math homework into his backpack and headed for the library.

Yet his luck did not seem to hold as, when he arrived, the tutor center was closed. It was only open until 8 PM and double checking the time on his phone, as he silently prayed the library clock was wrong for some reason, gave him the bitter news it was quarter to nine. Roxas ground his teeth together and tried not to curse aloud, ignoring the sudden urge to tip over a bookshelf in his frustration. As he turned to leave, he couldn't help but cast a glance over at the students sprinkled throughout the various desks and tables. His foot stopped mid-step as something caught his eye.

Red hair.

' _You again…'_ Roxas seethed. He remained rooted in his spot as he watched the man from afar. From his view, he could see the red head reading his Literature book for their upcoming class. The man's shaggy mane was pulled back behind his head to show his ears and the headphones tucked inside of them. A pair of slim glasses sat on the lower part of his nose bridge, giving him a rather scholarly appearance. If anything, he looked ordinary, save for his obscenely fire-red hair. Yet Roxas found his feet betraying him as they seemed to move on their own accord towards the stranger and before he realized what had happened, he was standing on the opposite side of the man's table.

Roxas waited in silence for the red head to make the first move. Deep down he secretly hoped the stranger wouldn't notice him scowling from across the table but he found the green eyes flickering on him for a millisecond as the man turned the page of his novel. The red head looked up with a puzzled expression at the sight of the blonde across from him.

"May I help you?" the stranger asked with a cold edge in his voice.

"No," Roxas replied. There was a long pause where neither moved and their eyes stared at each other's as though they were trying to reach each other's thoughts.

"If you have nothing to say, I'd rather get back to reading. In case you forgot, we have a quiz in the morning," the stranger reminded.

"I'm aware," Roxas snapped. "I didn't think you would have recognized me."

The man snorted and rolled his eyes. "Seriously?" he asked. He removed his glasses and set them on the table next to his book. "I'm pretty sure there's only one blonde on this campus who walks around with a scowl and a dog collar. You don't exactly blend in. Plus you sit in the same desk every class period."

"Well, so do you!" Roxas shot back. The man shrugged.

"You got me there. You like the class?"

"If I didn't, I certainly wouldn't be showing up for it," the blonde argued.

The man smirked, a reaction Roxas wasn't expecting. "You're just a ray of sunshine, aren't you? My name's Axel. Got it memorized?" The red head tapped a finger against his temple.

"Why? Are you going to quiz me later?" Roxas quipped.

"I might," Axel replied. "And what about you?"

Roxas's brows pressed together. "What about me?"

"What's your name?" Axel asked.

"Why do you care?!" Roxas barked. He flinched as he earned a round of shushes from nearby students trying to work. His cheeks burned from embarrassment while he continued to attempt to burn a hole through Axel's skull with his glare.

"Look, I'm not asking for your social security number. All I asked for was your name. It's common curtesy when someone introduces themselves," Axel stated.

"Roxas," the blonde hissed. "Got it memorized?"

Axel shrugged and slipped his glasses back on his face. "Sure. See you around then, Roxas." The man returned to reading his book as though the conversation never happened. Roxas let out a huff through his nostrils before storming back to his dorm, the man's smirk locked in his mind. When he returned to his room, he threw his backpack under his desk, changed into pajamas and crawled into his bed. He didn't care it was too early to retire. He slipped on his headphones and blasted his favorite playlist in his ears until his frustration mellowed into a mild brooding. Then he dozed off into an uneasy sleep.


	2. 2-I Can't Math

**A/N-Oops, a bit on a long side. Hope you guys enjoy. :) Updates go up every 2 weeks!**

A month into school and Roxas was already craving the weekends. Those two glorious days were always a bit more tolerable than the other five he had to force himself to go to school. Although college was far superior to his high school life, the work load was starting to weigh down upon him like a sack of bricks that kept getting heavier with each passing class. Roxas felt the familiar feeling of drowning creeping up inside of him again.

Pence had invited him out to a movie with Hayner and Olette but Roxas declined with the excuse he needed to study. It wasn't a complete lie, as his first round of exams was approaching, but he could tell Pence was a bit disappointed all the same. Roxas knew his roommate was trying to get him to branch out and meet new people but there was something inside of the blonde that held him back. He would occasionally indulge his new friends with their requests to leave his dorm but beyond meeting with them for meals, he barely saw them.

Another reason he did not wish to leave the sanctity of his room was the overwhelming idiocy of the freshman population he was surrounded with. Just stepping outside his room made his spine cringe. Much to his relief, there were two other means of escaping his living Hell: the library and his English Literature class. He was surprised by how much he truly enjoyed learning from his professor and how much professor Xehanort detested people who asked idiotic questions. One girl dropped the class after their first quiz when she asked for extra credit. The glare professor Xehanort gave her was priceless and Roxas almost wished he had caught the encounter on camera. Several other freshman had dropped the class due to the intense amount of knowledge they needed to absorb from their novels. Roxas didn't mind in the slightest as it left him with the more mature upper classmen who had more intelligence than a teenager who barely passed high school.

Then there was Axel. Surprisingly, the man never made any further motions to get to know Roxas. He sat in his usual desk in front of the blonde each class period but he never struck up a conversation or even looked at the teen for more than a glance as he entered the room. At first Roxas was glad Axel had left him alone yet the more Axel acted as though he wasn't there, a festering irritation grew inside of the blonde's stomach to the point it felt like maggots were going to explode from his abdomen each time he had class. He just couldn't figure out why Axel bothered him so much.

Sighing heavily, his voice morphing into what some wound consider a low growl, Roxas leaned back in his chair and pulled his bare feet up onto the seat. He closed his eyes, scolding his mind over and over not to look at the clock. He knew the longer he waited between checking the time the faster it would go, yet the urge to check the time became too much. Roxas whipped out his phone and hissed a wide array of curses as it was nearly five. He thanked the various deities watching him suffer that it was only Saturday. His eyes glared at the open math book lying on his desk, his half-finished homework spilled out over the rest of the empty spaces. Everything else was done. Even his reading for the weekend was complete. All he had left was the mental torture of trig.

' _It's only Saturday,'_ he reminded himself. ' _I can just finish it tomorrow.'_ The blonde slammed his forehead against the unforgiving text. ' _But I'll probably have less motivation tomorrow to work on this. Fuck!'_ He sat up and drummed his fingers on the triangles mocking him from the pages under his arm. His mind whirled around in circles as he debated on whether to waste his entire Saturday evening ploughing through the mental agony or to wait until his mind was fresh, although with much less motivation. Neither option was optimal. Frustrated, he grabbed his orange soda and downed what was left in a couple of gulps, equally irritated all of the carbonation had left the beverage.

His ears went on alert as he heard his phone vibrate. Madly shuffling his pages of homework around, he sought out the device buried beneath. Once found, he frowned at the number illuminated on the screen. For half a second he debated on whether he should even bother picking up, his thumb hovering over the end call button, when his guilt overran his actions and picked up the call.

"Yeah?" Roxas greeted.

"Hey Roxas!" Pence replied. The blonde could hear music filtering through the brunette's stereo, alerting the disgruntled teen his roommate was driving. "We were just wondering if you would be up for some bowling tonight." Roxas opened his mouth to print out a customary excuse when Pence interrupted him. "I know you still have math homework but you have all day tomorrow. Why don't you take a break?" Roxas clamped his jaw shut with a scowl.

"Come on, man! We need you!" he heard Hayner whine from the passenger seat. "You can't leave me hanging as a one man team!"

"Hayner, don't be rude," Olette scolded. "If he doesn't want to come, he doesn't have to."

"I can come," Roxas stated, listening to Pence relay his message directly after. There was a chorus of cheers from Hayner while Roxas swore he could feel Olette's eyes rolling.

"Great! We'll be by to pick you up in about ten minutes," Pence said. Roxas didn't reply as he ended the call. Another heavy sigh rolled out of his lungs before he tossed his phone on top of his messy desk top. Why had he agreed to go? He was already regretting his decision. Forcing himself out of his chair, he trudged over to his wardrobe in search of some clothes decent for public. Pajamas were a room only style, despite seeing many college students wander around in their sleeping attire between classes. He still had no ambition to change yet he found himself discarding his comfy shorts in favor of some baggy, black cargo pants and a red long sleeved shirt made from a light cotton fabric. He clipped on his favorite dog collar, stuffed his feet into a pair of black runners, and stuffed his pockets with his essentials before heading outside to meet his pickup.

Pence pulled up to the building right as Roxas descended the three steps in front of the door. The blonde wandered over to the dusty blue van and climbed into the backseat, Olette scooting over so he could have a seat. Pence gave his roommate a reassuring smile while Hayner craned around the side of the passenger seat and grinned.

"Hey! You made it!" the dirty blonde said with a bit too much enthusiasm for Roxas's liking.

"I suppose so," Roxas replied half-heartedly, pulling on his seatbelt as Pence pulled out onto the road. He caught a brief smile from Olette before she ordered Hayner to face the front of the van.

"Hope you're hungry," Pence called over his shoulder. "Hayner's kind enough to be paying for pizza." The dirty blonde scoffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest, a heavy scowl on his features that Roxas could faintly see in the reflection of the windshield glass.

"This totally isn't fair! You guys should at least buy your drinks," Hayner protested. "I'm shit-ass broke!"

Olette giggled and shook her head. "You lost the bet, Hayner. That was the deal. Plus the rest of us aren't exactly rolling in dough, either," she corrected. Her hand patted the disgruntled teen's shoulder. "Don't take it so hard. At least Roxas will help you win at bowling."

"You bet he is! We're going to kick ass!" Hayner shouted, instantly perking up. Roxas decided not to comment and set his attention to staring out the window. The campus rolled by as they made their way towards the outskirts where more of the shopping districts were located. Street lights started to flicker on as the evening hours wore on into darkness. It was strange to think in a couple short months it would dark at the same time of the day.

As they pulled up to the bowling alley, Roxas realized he hadn't been paying the faintest attention to what was going on in the van. His eyes glazed over the large neon sign with a moogle bowling on it and, must to his distaste, that damn papou fruit plastered on the sky blue sphere rolling down the alley. The crew piled out of the vehicle and headed inside. Hayner ventured off to the pizza counter while the others headed over to get their shoes. Roxas overheard the dirty blonde grumbling as he forked over the rest of his paper cash as he paid for their dinner.

They ended up bowling a game as they waited for their pizza. Then they took some time to eat, Roxas forcing himself to eat two slices before his stomach had enough grease to lube a car engine. They stayed for several more rounds of bowling and found Olette was actually the best out of the group. Roxas managed to pull out a win during one of their un-teamed matches when she messed up her eagle shot. It wasn't much of a victory but it was somewhat satisfying to be on the top for at least a brief moment.

It was well after eight when Roxas checked the time on his phone, the thought of his math homework continuing to nag at his brain even when he tried to concentrate. He looked over at where his friends were lounging amongst the plastic chairs, idly chatting on whether or not to stay for blacklight bowling. Hayner was sick of playing, as he lost every game, but Pence was adamant about staying as if bowling with oddly lit colors was some sort of rite of passage they needed to experience before they graduated. Roxas excused himself to get himself another soda, although it was mostly just an excuse to keep himself from getting a headache from all of Hayner's complaining.

His feet whispered across the carpet over to the concessions counter and he ordered his drink. As it was set in front of him, his gaze was deterred by the sound of cheering at the far end of the bowling alley. Two lanes of male students were cheering or shouting in defeat from the results of their latest match. Roxas watched the group of the corner of his eye as he sipped his soda. What intrigued him the most was the tall, skinny man with the obnoxiously red hair.

His eyes snapped to the back of the concessions stand as said red head started making his way over with one of his friends. Roxas quickly pulled out his phone and feigned interest in the Google homepage, finding himself too off guard to think of something to search. He jumped as he felt someone tap his shoulder and he dropped his phone on the counter. He heard a chuckle as he turned to find Axel leaning on the counter next to him.

"Hey there," Axel greeted.

"Hi," Roxas muttered as he picked up his phone, sipping his soda so he wouldn't have to speak.

"Who's the stiff?" the friend asked. Roxas glanced at the person standing just beyond Axel. They had long silver hair that fell into his aqua colored eyes, a loud yellow t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his shoulders and dark blue cargo pants.

"Be nice, Riku," Axel shot back at his friend. "We're classmates."

"Uh huh," Riku said flatly as he picked up his drink from the counter. Axel thanked the man behind the counter for his root beer and took a sip before smiling.

"Hurry up, you two! We're starting another game!" someone called from the other side of the bowling alley. Roxas managed to catch a glimpse of the person shouting and recognized it as the man with the dirty blonde mullet from his first day on campus. He would have put off a rather rocker vibe if it weren't for the black t-shirt with TMNT printed in large green letters across the front and faded blue jeans.

"Keep your pants on, Demyx!" Axel shouted at his friend. Riku snorted and headed back to his group of friends with soda in hand. The red head rolled his eyes and took another long sip from his beverage. "You know, you should try smiling once in awhile," Axel commented towards the blonde.

"Oh? Why's that?" Roxas asked with a sour note in his tone.

"Because you always look like your pissed off," Axel replied.

"Maybe I am."

The red head raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh. Sucks to be you then," he muttered. Axel took quick sip of his soda before turning to leave. "Oh, cute collar by the way. Brings out the angst in your eyes." Axel smirked as Roxas's cheeks began to burn. The red head gave a half-assed wave before departing to rejoin his friends, leaving the blonde to fume.

"It's not cute!" Roxas hissed under his breath. He chugged the rest of his soda, giving him a terrible stomach ache he would later regret when he went to sleep, and went back to where his friends were waiting.

Olette informed him they were going to stay for one round of neon bowling before they headed back to their dorms for the night. Roxas wanted to go home and bury himself under his sheets but he knew how much staying meant to Pence so he gritted his teeth and waited for the regular, eye straining lights to be replaced by black ones. Even as they got started, Roxas already started feeling light headed. He had never liked neon bowling. Between the balls and shirts glowing far too vibrant for his liking, it reminded him of an acid trip. Like a unicorn had eaten a box of crayons and threw up radioactive vomit.

Amid the sounds of balls colliding with pins, he could hear the sounds of Axel's group cheering or booing, depending on how their team was doing. Roxas couldn't resist glancing over at them to find Axel was practically glowing in his white t-shirt while someone else on his team lit up the area in a pair of vibrant pink skinny jeans. He prayed to whatever forces were watching over him that it was a girl but at the distance he was at, he could only make out a thin frame with long, feathered hair. Roxas diverted all of his thoughts by counting the seconds between each frame he played.

Once his game was over, Roxas followed the others to the back counter to retrieve their shoes, even though he wanted nothing more than to sprint. Then they paid, piled into Pence's van, and headed back to campus. Roxas couldn't recall the drive except for when they stopped to drop off Olette and Hayner at their dorms. Upon returning to his room, he reclaimed his PJ's and climbed up into his bed. He always found the smell of his own pillow soothing.

"Should I bother asking if you had fun?" Pence asked from his desk, where he sat checking his e-mail. Roxas rolled over onto his stomach and folded his arms under his chin.

"I suppose it was alright," Roxas muttered.

Pence smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Well, I suppose that's a good thing. Did you happen to know those guys at the concession stand?" Roxas was taken off guard, his face heating up in the shadows of his lofted bed.

"The red headed freak's in one of my classes. It was just small talk," he replied.

"Small world, huh? I actually knew one of the other guys he was with." Pence clicked out of his e-mail and started to shut down his laptop. "His name's Seifer. He used to go to my high school but he's been out for awhile so I wouldn't be surprised if he's a senior here by now."

Roxas shifted closer to the edge of his mattress, curious about Pence's past as neither of them talked much about their person lives. "Which one was he?"

"The guy wearing the hat. He wore that stupid thing back in high school too. I never liked when he wore it because it make the scar on his face stand out more than usual," Pence recalled. Roxas didn't remember seeing someone like that at the bowling alley but he definitely remembered seeing him at the bookstore on his first day on campus.

"What did he get the scar from?" Roxas asked.

"Knife fight or some dumb shit like that. He was always getting himself into fights." Pence shut his computer lid and stretched his arms above his head. "Anyway, I think I'm going to turn in for the night. Homework tomorrow…" Roxas grunted and rolled over, pulling his headphones over his ears. Then he found himself drifting off to sleep.

XxXxX

Sunday passed by with a lack of vehemence as most of the campus stayed inside to do their homework. Rain pounded against the windows, showing no signs of stopping in the near future, as wind howled through the trees and ripped the dying leaves from the trees. The weather carried through Monday into Tuesday. Grass had turned to marshland while gutters poured water into sewers like rivers. Anyone caught outside was soaked, even if they tried sprinting across campus to keep dry. Occasionally a lost umbrella would bounce across the grounds like a lone tumbleweed at the mercy of the wind.

When Roxas showed up to his morning English Lit class, he was dripping onto the linoleum like the rest of his classmates. He shivered as the cold seeped through his skin into his muscles while his nose started to run. He tried to wipe it on his sleeve only to receive a cold reminder his clothes were wet as he rubbed his face. Roxas hugged his arms close to his body as he waited for class to start. His numb fingers dug out his phone from his backpack, where he had stuffed it in a sandwich bag to keep it dry, and attempted to type his password. Cursing under his breath, he rubbed his hands together to generate some heat in the frigid digits. Below him, water dripped from his clothes and created a small pool around his desk.

Roxas flinched as something flopped over his head, covering his vision in a dark blur. He snatched it off and was confused to find it was a hand towel. His eyes looked up to find Axel sitting down in his usual seat in front of him, a matching towel running through his soaked, red locks. Roxas scowled but he began drying off his face despite not wanting to use the towel.

"Damn rain," Axel sighed as he flopped his own towel over his shoulders. He craned around in his desk, his acid green eyes bright in contrast to his pale face and flushed cheeks. "You can keep the towel until Thursday. Or keep it forever, I guess I don't care either way," Axel said, looking over the soggy excuse of a student sitting behind him. When Roxas didn't respond, he turned to face the front of the room, missing the glare sent at his back. The freshman scrubbed the towel through his blonde locks, sending water droplets flying at nearby students.

All throughout class Roxas found it hard to concentrate due to the fact he was freezing and he couldn't figure out why Axel was carrying around two towels with him. Either the red head had intentionally brought a second along for him, or another student when he thought about it long enough, or Axel gave up his towel for drying off after his second class for the morning. Roxas kept turning his brain over in circles that he failed to pay any attention towards professor Xehanort, missing an intriguing lecture on ' _Fahrenheit 451'._ When class was called for the morning, Roxas snapped out of his daze and realized his notebook page was blank save for a few water drops that had fell from his bangs. Cursing under his breath, he packed up his things, shoved his wet towel into Axel's face and left without a word.

XxXxX

With school underway, the first round of exams had come and passed. Most students were starting to figure out either they needed to work harder with their studies or they were just going to get bad grades that semester. Roxas never had a problem with exams. He couldn't figure out why people stressed over them so much. Even Pence was muttering anatomy terms under his breath whenever he wasn't paying attention. There was just one snag he had to deal with and it was starting to feel like a lead anchor around his neck.

He needed top marks in all of his classes.

And he was falling behind in math.

"Damn," Roxas cursed, angrily chewing on the end of his Pocky. "A fucking C. How the fuck did I get a C?!" he hissed. He slammed his fist on his desk as he glared at the grade mocking him on the online database. His fingers ran through his hair as his options starting to fade faster than a new pair of jeans. He ripped open his desk drawer, slammed his calculator next to his computer, and furiously began plugging away number to figure out what he needed to get on his remaining exams in order to keep his scholarship. Since KHU was prestige, he needed a 4.0 to keep his scholarship or they would cut the amount they covered in half. Even then for them to cover a quarter of his tuition costs would require him to get a 3.5 GPA.

The panic that was beginning to well up inside of him at the number staring at him from the tiny screen was staggering. Roxas calculated it over and over again yet the number remained the same. He needed at least 92% on his remaining tests just to get an A but that didn't include homework. While he never did terrible on his math homework, as he could take all the time he needed to figure out the problems, he more often than not made mistakes and it cost him valuable points. Points he could no longer afford to lose.

"I just need to study harder," Roxas muttered. He slammed his fist into his calculator, sending it skidding across his desk and onto the floor. "But how the Hell do you study for math? It's all fucking equations!" He was about to reach for his phone when he remembered Olette's words of wisdom of going to the tutoring center. Roxas shoved his math supplies into his backpack and hurried to the library.

Yet fate had to mock him again when he found the tutoring center was closed already. Roxas checked the hours with a scowl, finding it closed at six on Fridays and it was already quarter past that. He slammed his fist against the wall and turned away, fuming over what he could possibly do. "Damn it all to Hell…" he growled. On his way out, he caught sight of a familiar flash of red in its usual spot. Roxas let out an angry huff and altered his course towards Axel's table. Without even asking, he dropped into the seat across from the red head and sent his icy glare towards the nearest bookshelf.

Axel looked up as the distressed teen sat down at his table, a bit perturbed by how livid the blonde looked. He carefully removed his headphones and waited for Roxas to say something. When he didn't, Axel dared to speak up. "Everything okay?" he asked.

"What do you think?!" Roxas barked, drawing a few glares from nearby students. Axel held up his hands, meaning he meant no harm, while Roxas crossed his arms over his chest. "I…I just need a moment to think." He rubbed his temples with his fingers to alleviate some of the pressure building up inside his skull. Axel watched on with a mixture of concern and caution. "What are you, a junior?" Roxas asked.

"Senior, actually," Axel corrected. "Core classes getting to you?"

Roxas dropped his arms onto the table. "I just….ugh…math!" the blonde fumed.

Axel raised an eyebrow. "You can't math?"

"No! Argh!" Roxas smashed his forehead into the table and began swearing under his breath. Axel could occasionally make out a sane thought spewed from the blonde's mouth but they were few and far between.

"May I assume you're in need of some help?" Axel questioned.

"NO!" Roxas declined sharply, his face still pressed against the table. Axel frowned.

"Don't let your pride get in the way, blondie. Everyone has at least one class they struggle with and if you need to make the grade then there's no shame in asking for help."

"I don't need help," Roxas seethed.

Axel drummed his fingers on the table as an uncomfortable silence fell between them. "I failed O-chem twice," he brought up.

"Honestly, I don't care," Roxas snapped, sitting up to reveal a large red mark on his forehead from where he had hit the table.

"Hey, I'm just trying to help," Axel defended.

"Well I didn't ask for it!"

"Says the guy who sat at my table." Roxas's glare intensified as Axel smirked at him. The blonde pushed his chair back and grabbed his bag.

"Fuck it. I'll figure it out myself," he growled. Roxas froze as he felt something clamp around his wrist. He spun around to find Axel gripping it tightly, his acid green eyes cutting through Roxas's defenses.

"I can help you. You only have to ask," Axel said in a calm but strong voice. Roxas remained still, his eyes glaring daggers at the red head while Axel stared back with his own steady gaze. His calm unnerved the blonde.

Roxas turned his face away, his head hanging in defeat. "Fine," he murmured. He felt Axel's fingers loosen their grip on his wrist until he was released altogether.

"Alright, then. When do you want to start?" Axel asked. Roxas responded by dropped his backpack on the table with a loud crash, causing Axel and several other nearby students to jump. The red head looked to the blonde before scratching the back of his head. "Um, right. I still have some things I need to get done here before I have a group project to get to. Why don't we get together tomorrow morning? I can pick you up at your dorm and we can hang out my place."

"Why there?" Roxas asked, glancing over at the red head.

"Because I know how infuriating it can be being stuck on the main drag of campus all hours of the day. Plus we have snacks," Axel bribed.

Roxas's shoulders sagged as he let out an irritated huff. "Fine. You can pick me up at nine. Destiny Hall." Axel nodded before turning back to his own work. Roxas pulled his backpack onto his shoulder and rushed out of the library, his pride bruised like a banana tumbling in a dryer.

XxXxX

The next morning Roxas stood waiting outside his dorm with his bag slung over his shoulder at five to nine. His sleep wasn't the greatest so his mind kept wavering in and out of focus when he wasn't paying attention. He even put his shirt on backwards after he first crawled out of bed. He decided to go comfortable but casual with his clothes: a black sleeveless hoodie, his typical white cargo pants, and black sneakers with red strings. As much as he hated himself for it, he decided to forgo the dog collar so it didn't give Axel another reason to comment on it.

At exactly nine, a black car pulled up to the curb and Roxas heard the door locks disengage. Roxas climbed inside to find Axel wearing a purple shirt and frayed, faded jeans. He also wore a dusty pair of flip flops Roxas had seen several times before during the warmer weeks of the semester and they were the teen's least favorite pair of shoes the red head owned. Roxas hated flip flops in general but Axel's were far worse. The fabric straps were starting to fray as their age began to show through, not to mention the lack of any practical tread on the bottom so they were worthless on slippery surfaces.

"Morning," Axel greeted as Roxas tucked his bag on the floor between his feet. "Ready to go?" The blonde nodded and Axel pulled away from the curb in his Mercedes. If anything, the man had a nice car. Roxas propped his elbow on the door and stared out the window, his mind blank as buildings blurred past.

After what seemed like an eternity, Roxas snapped out of his daze and checked the time on his phone. His face shifted into a perplexed frown as twenty minutes had already passed without any sign of his destination in sight. Roxas glanced out all of the windows to find they were deep into apartment territory near the western side of campus. Just as he started to wonder where in the heck Axel was kidnapping him to, the red head spoke up.

"I live in the Twilight Expansion," Axel stated. His green eyes flickered over to the blonde before he continued. "It's new so it's practically on the edge of campus." The blonde's frown remained set on his face. "It takes awhile to commute," Axel defended. "Why do you think I have a car?"

"I don't know. Maybe you wanted to dump me in the river or something," Roxas muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. Without even looking, he could tell Axel was rolling his eyes.

"You know, not everyone is trying to murder the world," the red head stated.

"Just drive," Roxas barked. Axel obliged and buttoned his lips.

A few minutes passed and Axel turned off the main road. The red head awkwardly cleared his throat while adjusting his hands on the steering wheel. "So, there was sort of a change of plans and we're not going to be the only ones home today," Axel admitted. He glanced at Roxas but the blonde seemed unfazed by the news so he continued. "I live with seven other guys and they're all…well, you'll see. I'll apologize ahead of time if they do anything weird. If you can, just ignore them."

 _'Weird?'_ Roxas wondered. He felt a deep sense of foreboding drop in his stomach as they started driving past houses with large Greek letters plastered on the front. ' _Oh, fuck no. Frat boys.'_ His eyes darted to the door handle, the idea of leaping out of the car tempting every nerve in his body. He allowed his muscles to uncoil as they drove passed the Greek life and ventured into a newer development of townhomes. Roxas had to admit they did look rather nice, which made him feel only a little bit bad he jumped to conclusions on Axel. Again.

"Lying naked all the day…" Roxas's head snapped so fast he wondered how he didn't get whiplash. Axel had been singing under his breath to whatever CD he had playing the entire way but Roxas hadn't actually been paying attention to what was playing. He felt his heart skip a beat as he watched Axel concentrate on driving, his green eyes focused on the road. The line came up again and Roxas failed to notice the light tinge of color flushing his cheeks.

"What the Hell are you singing?" Roxas hissed.

Axel chuckled and pulled over to the side of the road where many other cars sat parked. "Despre Tine. It's Romanian," the red head explained. He turned up the stereo and let Roxas listen to the last bit of the song. As he listened to the line again, Roxas could pick out it was in a different language this time around but the image of Axel singing about lying naked was burned into his brain.

"Not exactly streamline music," Roxas commented as Axel turned off the car.

"Oh, come on. It's supposed to be fun!" Axel protested. Roxas picked up his back and followed his tutor's lead in exiting the vehicle.

"It's about as fun as the fucking Numa Numa song," the blonde said sarcastically.

Roxas shouldered his bag and waited for Axel to walk around the car. He was confused when the red head grinned at him. "Same artist," Axel whispered before ushering Roxas to the correct building. The teen resisted the urge to slap both himself and the idiot walking beside him. "Now remember, if they get weird just ignore them. Especially if they try to pick a fight or argue with you. Or better yet, pretend like they're invisible."

"Shouldn't be too hard," Roxas commented. Axel opened his mouth to say something more but instead closed it, opting to unlocking the front door to allow Roxas to step inside his home. The first floor was spacious with an open living room to their right filled with an assortment of furniture slapped together from various tastes of décor. Straight ahead were some stairs along with a wide closet Roxas assumed was filled with coats for the winter. To the left was a remarkably nice kitchen complete with stainless steel appliances, an island that doubled as a bar styled counter, and plenty of cupboards for storage. There was even a pantry stacked up on the back wall. While there wasn't room for all eight residents to sit at the counter, there was a table with four chairs around it in the corner closest to the front door. Roxas noted the builders didn't hold back on the expenses, seeing as the counter top was made from some sort of stone and the light fixtures looked like they walked out of an IKEA magazine. While the space was open, it was moderately crowded by four males milling about the kitchen as they worked through various stages of breakfast.

Roxas was jerked out of his staring when Axel nudged him, nodding to his shoes. The blonde quickly pried off his sneakers and hurried after the red head deeper into the kitchen area. The first person he recognized was the mullet haired man wearing a sky blue robe with music notes on it. The dirty blonde shot Roxas a smile before waving with his spatula at Axel.

"Welcome back!" he greeted. "I see you're bringing home stray puppies again."

Axel smirked, throwing his hands up in an over exaggerated shrug. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for cute things in collars." Roxas's ears burned and silently thanked his powers-that-be he was smart enough not to wear his dog collar. "Dem, this is Roxas. He's a classmate from Lit. Roxas, this is Demyx." Demyx saluted the teen with his spatula.

"Cool to meet you. You want breakfast?" Demyx asked towards Axel.

"Please! I'm starving!" the red head raved, moseying over to the fridge to pour himself a glass of juice. "You want anything, Roxas?" he asked, pausing as he grabbed a glass.

"No thanks," the teen declined.

"Don't worry about being polite. Lord knows we go through enough food in a week already," the man next to Demyx spoke up. He had dark colored hair, almost a weird mix of chrome, ash and a hint of purple, that hung over half of his face. He had a kind face with a pair of inquisitive eyes, although his wardrobe was rather plain consisting over a simple white shirt and printed flannel pants. The toaster in front of his popped and he set to work buttering the crispy bread. "I'm Zexion, by the way. If you have any questions, feel free to come talk to me. I work at the tutoring center here on campus."

"He is pretty smart," Demyx commented, poking at the bacon he had frying in the pan.

"No one asked you," Zexion muttered. "Would you like some toast?" he offered. Roxas shook his head. The inquisitive silverette turned to Axel and asked the same question. The red head smiled and took the toast from Zexion's fingers, taking a large bite with a mischievous grin.

"Perfect as always," Axel commented. He motioned to Roxas for him to follow as he headed for the stairs. "The guy at the counter without a shirt is Terra. You might recognized him from the football team." Roxas glanced at the brunette shoveling cereal into his mouth while reading the weekend paper. His eyes shifted to the guy opposite on the island, a familiar cascade of messy silver hair catching his eye. "That's Riku, in case you didn't catch his name at the bowling alley." Riku gave a half-hearted wave as he continued to stare at the cereal lining one of the pantry shelves, his pants nearly as disheveled as his hair.

Axel tugged on Roxas's hood and they started making their way upstairs, squeezing by a burly man with a square jaw and wavy, combed back hair as he made his way down. "Morning, Lexaeus," Axel greeted. The other man nodded with a soft grunt, continuing on without even acknowledging Roxas. "He doesn't say much in general. He's roommates with Riku up here on the left. Terra and Seifer room on the right." As they reached the second floor, Roxas got a glance of what the floor plan looked like. It was a narrow hallway with four doors filling the space. To his left he caught sight of an empty bathroom and on his right the shower was running so he assumed the other two doors were where the bedrooms were. They climbed the next set of boxed style spiral stairs to the third floor where the layout looked exactly the same.

"Demyx and Zexion are on the left. I'm on the right," Axel pointed out.

"Must be nice to have a room by yourself," Roxas commented.

The red head snorted and paused outside the bathroom door on the left. "Not quite." He knocked on the door and it opened with a plume of steam. "I'm rooming with this goof."

"Speak for yourself," the person inside shot back. He had a towel wrapped around his waist and the strangest shade of pink hair Roxas had ever seen. The man held a hair dryer in one hand and a comb in the other. If he hadn't been bare chested, Roxas would've mistaken him for a girl. "You must be the person Axel was talking about last night. I'm Marluxia," the pink haired man introduced.

"Is that…?" Roxas dared to ask.

"Yes, this is my natural hair color," Marluxia interrupted. "Don't feel like you're the only one who's ever asked. Oh, and don't mind the mess in our room. I'll clean it up later. I've got other things to do so if you'll excuse me." Marluxia shut the door a bit more forcefully than a normal person and the sounds of the hairdryer drowned out all other sound from the other side of the door.

"He wasn't kidding about the mess," Axel stated, continuing onwards down the hallway. Roxas followed and found himself in a moderate sized bedroom built for two people. Each roommate had their own set of college essential furniture: desk, bed, dresser, somewhat comfy office chair. The same luxury couldn't be said about the pathetic excuse for closet space, which they had to share Roxas noted. The front half of the room was covered in large sheets of paper and chalk, several dusty hand prints lingering on Marluxia's furniture where it hadn't yet been brushed off.

"Art major?" Roxas asked.

"Graphic design," Axel replied. The blonde tread carefully as he made his way over to the cleaner half of the room. He glanced at the red head's desk, finding everything from books to papers to pens stacked in piles on the surface and the shelf above it. Several large pharmacy tomes served as book ends for the rest of the books on the shelf. Axel flopped down on his bed with a sigh of relief. "Feel free to sit wherever. You might just want to double check there's no chalk first."

Roxas glanced around the room and determined the floor was the safest bet. He slipped his bag from his shoulder and sat all in the same motion. Then he pulled out his math book, feeling a bit uncomfortable when Axel rolled onto his stomach and leaned over his shoulder to see what the blonde was working on. Axel tucked his arms under his chin, a low hum echoing in his throat.

"This is easy stuff. What are you stuck on?" Axel asked. Roxas's mind went blank for a moment as he was caught up in the smell of cinnamon toothpaste and buttered toast brushing across his cheek. He quickly recovered and kept his eyes down on his notebook.

"All of it," he muttered. Axel burst out laughing and it almost caused Roxas to shiver as his cool breath tickled the back of his neck.

"Let me see." Without even asking, Axel grabbed Roxas's notes and rolled onto his back, reading over the neatly written lines of numbers. Roxas took the time to find a pencil buried in his backpack, looking up as someone knocked on the doorframe. Zexion strode in carrying a plate piled high with eggs and bacon, the very smell making Roxas's stomach squirm. He placed the plate next to Axel's juice sitting on the desk, pausing as he noticed Roxas sitting on the floor.

"Are you sure you don't want anything? We have plenty to share," Zexion offered.

For a brief second Roxas almost accepted but he bit his tongue, changing his mind. "I'm fine," he replied. He didn't look up to see Zexion's face but if he had he would have seen the man's lips tighten into a faint frown.

"Alright, then. There's juice in the fridge if you change your mind." Zexion excused himself, glancing back at the blonde who's eyes never left the page of his textbook, and made his way back down to the kitchen. The room fell into a steady silence, only broken every so often by Axel turning the crinkly paper over to the next page.

Roxas started to wonder why he had even agreed to coming over to Axel's place to begin with. He wasn't friends with Axel. Yet, as the voice in his head constantly reminded him, he was the one who went pouting to the red head for help when all he had to do was wait until Monday to go to the tutoring center. _'Impatience is the death of me again,'_ he brooded, digging the tip of his pencil into the margin of his book. The lead snapped and the blonde scowled at the weak graphite that dared to roll into the spine of his text like it was mocking him. He silently declared he would burn the text as soon as the semester was over, book return money be damned.

"Here's your problem," Axel stated, Roxas jumping as the sudden onset of sound spooked him. Axel rolled back onto his stomach and plopped the notebook down in the blonde's lap on top of the text book. The red head's slender finger slid towards the top of the page and tapped the notes jotted there. "You have the equation wrong."

Roxas frowned. "No I don't. I copied it exactly from the professor," he protested.

"Maybe if you would have read your textbook, you would have noticed that X equals negative B, not positive," Axel rebutted. Roxas felt a nerve twinge in his temple. He clicked out more lead and dug the tip into the paper as he created a line in front of the B. He forced himself to keep his negative comments in his head as he began reworking the problems he had already done before. While he worked, Axel sat up and dug into his breakfast, his eyes watching Roxas from his perch. ' _I don't get it,'_ he thought. ' _He's smart, I know it. He got the second highest score on our Lit exam.'_ Axel gnawed on the end of his bacon as he watched Roxas light up for a brief moment as the answer came out correct for the first time. But the flash of excitement was soon replaced with a deep brooding, the blonde undoubtedly kicking himself for making such a simple error.

What Axel didn't know was Roxas was redirecting his anger within his thoughts. ' _How the heck did this clown get the highest score on the Lit test?!'_ he screamed in his head. ' _Argh! I hate this! It's bad enough I'm asking for help but then I make it look like I'm a fucking moron. But then again…'_ Roxas glanced at the red head shoveling eggs into his mouth. ' _Every time I see him he's studying something. He can't be a complete idiot, unless those Pharmacy books are just for show. But what kind of moron would buy a Pharmacy book just to make you seem smart?'_ For some reason an image of Hayner flashed in his mind. Roxas dismissed the thought and continued working.

Axel popped the last of his bacon in his mouth and leaned forward to peer down at the blonde's work. He set his plate on the desk, exchanging it for a pen, and flopped down on his front again so he could lean over Roxas's shoulder. "You're mixing up the axis," he corrected. He scribbled the correct letters in their proper places over the blonde's neat pencil marks. "Simple mistake."

"If it's so simple, why don't you do it?" Roxas muttered. Axel raised an eyebrow.

"Sure, if it helps you to see a sample problem done." He repositioned and used his free arm to hold down the notebook so it wouldn't slide as he wrote over Roxas's notes. His pen strokes were fluid, almost like the tip was gliding on water. Cerulean eyes sat mesmerized by the movement to the point he wasn't even paying attention to what was going on in the problem. The pen slid to a stop, circling the answer presented. "See? Not so bad."

Roxas wanted to say yes, or anything for that matter, but all he could see were Axel's arms around him and the elder man's face dangerously close to his right cheek. It took him a moment to realize he hadn't answered Axel yet, but when he went to speak his lungs constricted. Roxas forced himself to inhale, failing to notice he had been holding his breath earlier. He shoved Axel's arms away, muttering and almost incoherent reply. Axel merely shrugged it off and settled down in his arm nest to watch Roxas continue working.

They remained as they were for the rest of the morning. Axel observed as the blonde worked through his problems, only speaking up to fix a mistake Roxas had made. He never once offered help unless Roxas spoke up for assistance. Over time, the tension built up inside of the teen faded and the problems on the pages started to make sense. As his pencil hovered over the last answer, he felt like he actually accomplished something. His eyes scanned over the pages while he chewed on the edge of his thumb nail. He gave a satisfied nod and shut his book with a snap, shoving all his materials into his back pack. He glanced back at Axel, who was lying on his back reading a text book with his bony knees sticking in the air.

"All done?" Axel asking, not looking up from his page.

"Yeah," Roxas replied. He leaned back against the mattress, his eyes shifting to the carpet. His fingers began picking at the short fibers. "…thanks…" he murmured.

Axel smirked. "No problem." He shut his book and rolled himself upright, taking a moment to stretch his arms over his head. "Do you have your phone?" Roxas pulled out his cell and Axel snatched it before the blonde could even refuse. The elder plugged in his contact information, his smirk broadening when he tossed the device back to his owner. "If you ever need help, don't hesitate to call." Roxas turned away from the red head to peer at the new number in his phone. Axel had even put his address down, almost as if he could tell Roxas would want to come back sometime. Roxas doubted he would ever return to the house.

The sound of thundering footsteps sprinting up the stairs caused the pair to shift their gazes towards the door. Demyx burst into the doorway a moment later, his face flushed and breathing ragged. "We're having a Brawl tournament downstairs!" he gasped, grinning at the duo. Axel leapt to his feet, grabbing his dishes from his desk, and motioned for Roxas to follow him. When the blonde didn't move right away, Axel sighed, placing a hand on one of his hips.

"Come on, Rox. You deserve a break," Axel urged. Demyx glanced between his housemate and the teen sitting on the floor, who had what he would describe as the world's frumpiest face. It was a solid minute of Axel tolerating the blonde's silent rebellion that Roxas picked up his backpack and rose to his feet. Demyx smiled and hurried back downstairs to alert the others while Axel led the way for Roxas, stopping by the kitchen briefly to rid himself of his dishware. Roxas dumped his bag by the door before following Axel towards a door in the corner of the living room.

They slipped into the lower level and Roxas was surprised the place even had a basement. It wasn't very large, so it was crowded with the nine males sitting sprawled along a large L-shaped leather sofa in front of a HD plasma screen large enough to fit over almost the entirety of the wall. Axel offered Roxas the last open seat on the couch but Roxas sat on the flood instead, leaving Axel to steal the seat with a content sigh. Roxas chose to ignore him but it was difficult as the best floor space left open happened to be to the right of Axel's feet.

The group set up a sixteen man tournament with COMS to fill in the empty spaces. Roxas wasn't playing the first round so he let his eyes unfocus, resting his head on the edge of the cushion behind him. Axel glanced down at him for a brief second before turning his full attention on the tournament that was about to unfold.

"Hey, you can't be Ike!" Seifer protested. He reached over and attempted to swat Riku in the face but the silver haired man leaned out of the way.

"Says who?" Riku protested.

"Everyone knows he's OP," Seifer shot back.

"Deal with it." Seifer scowled and placed his marker over Solid Snake, letting Riku win the argument by default. The game began and, just like the bowling alley, it was a rather heated event. When it was Roxas's turn to play, he decided to play as Princess Peach and he ended up destroying Marluxia in his first match. Lunch loomed closer with each match and they ended up ordering Chinese takeout from the joint on campus, Land of Dragons. Even when the food arrived, it was hard to draw the group away from the screen, which meant Roxas had to help carry the steaming paper boxes downstairs with Zexion. The food tasted like typical Chinese, although the cookies made better ammo for chucking than for telling the future. Several cartons were knocked over within the heat of battle yet no one seemed to care, so Roxas assumed it was one of the norms for the household.

Out in the first round of their third tournament, Roxas sat back and picked at his chicken with chopsticks. He wasn't really even that hungry when they ordered food but he made sure to eat some so he didn't look like he was trying to starve himself. Zexion was already watching him with his "mom stare". He popped a piece of chicken in his mouth and chewed on it slowly, his thoughts drifting away from video games.

Despite detesting being around other people, Roxas found himself somewhat enjoying the company of the eight older boys. Maybe it was because they had accepted him within their group so easily or maybe it was they were treating him like a normal human being and not some foreign alien they weren't quite sure how to communicate with.

During the off fights, the group engaged him in various small talk, mostly exchanging basic information about themselves. He found out Riku was a sophomore studying exercise science, Zexion was a junior majoring in English, and Demyx was a fourth year junior going into music. The musician hadn't failed a semester, like Roxas initially assumed. Instead he spread his classes thin so he could graduate at the same time as his roommate. Roxas thought it was odd, trying to graduate at the same time as a friend, but he didn't question it. Terra was a senior with a full ride scholarship, thanks to his active involvement in football and lacrosse, and he found himself pursuing a degree in business as he had no idea what he wanted to do once he graduated. Seifer was a senior in engineering, although he was still only in his fourth year of a five year program so he would be staying around like Marluxia was. Lexaeus was finishing off his undergrad so he could go to med school the next fall while Axel was double majoring in Pharmacy and Literature. Since he was taking so many classes, Axel still had almost three years left, even though he technically was a senior like his roommate.

The sight of a pair of chopsticks flying in front of his vision snapped Roxas out of his thoughts and watched as one of his chicken pieces was kidnapped. He looked up at the culprit to find Axel sticking the morsel into his mouth with a grin. Roxas scowled and sent his glare towards the television, shoving bland fried rice into his mouth to keep himself quiet.

The group broke up their gaming around two as Terra had to get to practice while the others grumbled about various homework they still needed to get done before the weekend expired. Axel fished his car keys from his pocket and motioned to Roxas for him to follow. Then they headed upstairs, Roxas grabbing his backpack on the way, and filed into Axel's car. The drive back across campus was quiet, save for the soft euro-pop playing over the stereo. Roxas found himself day dreaming when Axel started tapping his finger on the steering wheel.

"So, what did you think of everyone?" Axel asked. "I hope they didn't pry too much or get on your nerves."

"No. I just took your advice and ignored them most of the time," Roxas replied, fingers picking at the strap on the top of his backpack.

Axel's shoulders seemed to relax a bit. "That's good, I guess. They were on unusually good behavior today, although maybe it was because you were over they behaved less like a group of preschoolers. Usually the place is like walking through Pandora's Box. Between the different genres of music playing far too loud, the arguments over stupid things and the…um…extra noise it gets difficult to get any actual work done."

"Hence you going to the library so often," Roxas deduced. Axel muttered an agreement with a nervous chuckle. "So what do you mean by "extra noise"? the teen asked, although the way Axel's cheeks tinted pink he could assume to what his answer would be.

"We get a lot of company, if you know what I mean," Axel replied. "Can't keep those raging post-teen hormones quelled all of the time."

"Seriously? Is there anything else you guys do besides school, sex, and competing against each other?" Roxas questioned, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Mm, not really. I leave the sex to everyone else because I don't have much time for a relationship. You wouldn't believe how quickly homework starts stacking up once you get into core classes," Axel remarked. He turned out onto the main street and headed down the long stretch back towards the freshmen dorms.

Roxas shifted positions in his seat. "So then why bother with a double major if it's so much extra work?"

Axel shrugged. "I honestly couldn't decide between the two. I thought once I started getting into the harder courses I'd find one that grabbed my interest more, but that ended up not happening. By then I figured I should just finish both majors since I had put so much effort into each of them. It just stinks that the classes don't overlap. By the time I'm done, I'll feel like I've been here forever!"

"Six years isn't bad," Roxas commented. The red head chuckled, his nervousness fading away the farther they traveled.

"I suppose not. What about you? Do you know what you want to do yet?" Axel asked.

"Not a clue." Roxas shifted his gaze to his backpack and continued to pick at the strap like it was a festering scab.

"Have any interests?" Axel tried.

Roxas shrugged. "Music I guess but I don't think a music major would be my sort of thing. Listening to music and teaching it are two very different ambitions."

"Are you a fan of the fine arts? Or do you prefer more science based classes?" Axel pressed. Roxas thought it over for a moment, his fingers pausing in his destructive pursuits until he began to speak again.

"I don't mind drawing but art is sort of stupid. That's why I was hoping looking into architecture and engineering would be more my style," Roxas explained.

"But math keeps dragging you down," Axel noted. The blonde grunted in agreement. "Well, just take it one day at a time. Maybe by the end of the semester you'll have a better idea of what you want to do."

' _I don't count on it,'_ Roxas thought. The rest of the ride was taken in silence.

XxXxX

Marluxia groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. He blinked and could make out a faint glow through his bleary eyes coming from somewhere in the room. His hand blindly reached for his phone and clicked on the power button. The male sighed heavily and buried his face into his pillow.

"Axel…" he groaned. "Go to bed!" The red head looked over from his desk where he sat typing away at an essay. He adjusted his desk lamp so it wasn't pointing towards his roommate quite as much. "Axel," Marluxia whined.

"I'm busy," Axel snapped.

"It's 4:30! It's Saturday! Please go to bed! You still have tomorrow to work. I promise it will still be there when you wake up," Marluxia pleaded.

"I won't have time tomorrow," Axel stated. He didn't even hesitate in his typing when Marluxia rolled over with a huff. There was a pause before the pink haired man spoke up again.

"Was that all of the homework you were supposed to do this morning?" he asked. Axel didn't reply. Marluxia peeked out from under his sleep mask to find his roommate glued to his computer screen. He sighed again and flopped his arm onto is bed. Then he rolled over so he was facing the wall and curled up, hoping he would be able to fall asleep again before the sun rose.

Axel stopped typing to glance at the curled up form of his roommate. He muttered an apology in his head before diving back into his work. ' _Only three more pages…'_ he assured himself. His head bobbed as his eyes threatened to close, his mind teetering on the edge of sleep. ' _Just three more…'_


	3. 3-Fasting and the Furious

**A/N-Hullo! You may start to notice that the chapters are no longer segmented the same as they were in the original version. Don't be alarmed! No scenes have been cut, merely shifted back (this will most likely be longer than 18 chapters this time around). Anyway, read and enjoy. ^^ (Also, who was hyped for KH3 at E3? :D)**

September slipped away into a cooler October. Trees began to turn from a crisp yellow to vibrant shades of crimson, citrine, and pumpkin. The campus was bathed in orange and gold as the last of the summer flowers withered away and the autumn shrubs began to spring to full bloom. The sky's normal vibrant blue seemed to have faded with the oncoming winter waiting in the weather queue. A gentle breeze blew papery leaves and brought wisps of moisture pluming from the mouths of students trekking across campus.

Roxas exhaled slowly, watching the mist rise into the air until it vanished within a second. He tipped his nose back beneath his black scarf, pressing his hands deeper into his jacket pockets. Unlike the other students, he was enjoying the cooler weather as more and more people opted to stay indoors during the day. That left the sidewalks open for Roxas to stroll alone, his thoughts his only company. Being a Saturday, the campus was quiet as most students were either studying or away from their dorms to procrastinate.

He wasn't sure how long he had been walking but he was a bit surprised to find himself in the large park near Axel's residence. Roxas remembered passing it on the way over for his tutoring session as he felt it looked rather out of place amongst the sea of townhouses and apartment complexes. He shrugged off the memory and let his mind focus on the silence greeting his ears. The park was void of other human life, giving it an almost horror movie vibe with the eerie void of sound. He found his way over to one of the benches off of the path and dropped into the seat. His feet began to tingle from the long walk over while his legs breathed a happy sigh of relief.

The wind cut through the open park and Roxas shivered, hugging his coat tighter to his body. His fingers clasped around the objects holed up in his pockets. With a sigh, he pulled them out, sticking the rolled up paper into his lips and flickering on the lighter. Once lit, he tucked his lighter away and closed his eyes, letting the drugs fill his lungs with calming smoke. He felt the familiar sensation of tranquility course through his body and buzz in his head, his mind lost to the world around him.

He wasn't sure when the joint was taken from his mouth but when he found himself inhaling clean air, he roused himself from his stupor. His eyes opened with a glare, finding Marluxia standing over him with a frown. The man's nose was pink from being outside too long without a scarf and his hair was pressed down with a fluffy pair of black earmuffs to go with his jacket.

"Not exactly tactful, smoking in the park," Marluxia commented. "Even for a college student." He extinguished the half-used joint pinched between his fingers on the bottom of his sole. Then he dug a shallow grave with the toe of his shoe and buried the joint under the earth. Roxas scowled at the pink haired man, irritated he had barely even gotten high.

"Why do you care if I go out for a smoke?" Roxas quipped. "It's a college campus. There are worse things than weed ruining people's life." Marluxia frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, giving Roxas that "disapproving mom" stare the blonde knew all too well. "What?" Roxas snapped.

"Is your life so stressful that you need to resort to fake highs and self-imposed isolation?" the elder asked. Roxas didn't reply. Marluxia rolled his eyes and dug into his jacket pocket, retrieving a bright pink box. The blonde shifted his gaze to the bold letters printed on the front of the box while Marluxia fished out a strawberry flavored treat. "I never understood the thrill of drugs or alcohol, but I suppose I'm in the minority as many of my peers find it freeing of their poignant lives. Is life really so tragic?" Marluxia popped the Pocky into the corner of his mouth before fishing out another stick, this time offering it to Roxas.

"No thanks," the blonde snapped. Marluxia shoved it closer to Roxas's face until it was hanging under his nose.

"I'd rather see you fat than stoned."

"No."

"Just humor me," Marluxia argued. Roxas growled in his throat, making the elder shove the Pocket between his lips. Roxas pulled the stick from his mouth, ripping off the tip and chewing on it like he was trying to destroy its soul.

"Why are you even here? Don't you live another mile from here?" Roxas brought up.

"Yes, but I have the right to enjoy the outdoors as much as the next person, angsty teens included," Marluxia shot back. "Maybe one day you'll understand the world isn't just about you." Marluxia finished off his Pocky stick and dug into another. "My neighbors to the south were being too noisy, not to mention Axel's hacking away at his keyboard, Demyx's guitar practice and the echoes of Riku's TV trying to drown out all the previously aforementioned. It's pathetic when I can't write an annotated bibliography because my own music can't block out the background."

"Get some noise canceling ones," Roxas spat, breaking his Pocky into two and shoving it into his mouth at once.

"They are noise canceling," Marluxia clarified. Roxas was about to make a rude comeback but then he recalled a pair of noise canceling headphones laying on Marluxia's desk when he visited, although it was half buried under paper and chalk at the time. "I needed a break anyway," Marluxia muttered. He curled his hands in front of his mouth and blew on them to give them some heat within the biting wind.

Roxas waited for Marluxia to leave but the pink haired man continued to stand over him, munching away at his strawberry Pocky like he had nothing else to do for the day. The blonde let out a huff and crossed his arms over his chest. Marluxia eyed the teen before allowing the silence between them to continue.

"You're not going to leave me alone, are you?" Roxas pressed.

Marluxia smirked. "Eventually. If Axel doesn't call me sooner, I'll head back in twenty minutes. Things should have calmed down by then, or at least have their hormones roped in by then." The man rolled his eyes and pulled out two sticks from his box. He offered one to Roxas, both a bit surprised when the blonde accepted it. Marluxia stuck his own piece into the corners of his lips before tucking the box and his hands into his pockets. "Exams going well?"

"Like you care," Roxas shot back. The elder frowned, pulling the Pocky from between his lips.

"You don't have to act so emo all of the time," Marluxia defended.

"Shut the fuck up!" Roxas barked, taking the pink haired man aback. Marluxia frowned as Roxas pushed himself to his feet, flinching as his Pocky came back to hit him in the cheek. It fell to the ground, breaking as it bounced off his shoe. Marluxia didn't say a word as he watched Roxas leave along the path towards the trees. He frowned and looked down at the Pocky between his own fingers. He didn't known Roxas at all, save for the time he showed up for math homework help, although he had glanced at Axel's phone a couple of times to see the pair were keeping in touch. It was mostly math questions but sometimes Axel would break through the blonde's shell and get a short answer for a basic question. It wasn't hard to see the past was troubling Roxas.

And he wasn't the only one.

Marluxia felt an all too familiar feeling of helplessness as Roxas disappeared amongst the trees. He knew he had to be there for the blonde like he did his friends in the past but unlike the times before, he wasn't wanted around. The feeling tore him up inside even more than usual. His thoughts were interrupted by his phone vibrating. Marluxia winched as he picked up, hearing Demyx playing in the background.

"Hey," Marluxia greeted.

"Where did you run off to?" Axel asked. "Last I checked you were still here. I didn't even hear you leave, although it's not too hard with all of the lovely background noise we're having today."

"I'm just out for a walk. I needed a stretch break anyway," Marluxia explained, his eyes still looking over at the grove of trees.

"Ah. You should have pulled me with you. I swear my butt's going to fall off from sitting so much!" Axel broke into a round of chuckles before composing himself. "Anyway, I think it's dying down here. I heard Seifer's girl leave just a minute ago and Riku finally turned down his damn TV. My god, that kid's going to go deaf!"

Marluxia chuckled, a faint smile ghosting his lips. "Yes, it's quite the annoyance. I hear Demyx is still practicing."

"I couldn't tell," Axel joked.

"Get back to your paper, you slacker," Marluxia shot back.

"Same to you," Axel said with a chuckle. The call ended and Marluxia tucked his phone back into his pocket. His feet found themselves making their way over to the grove of trees where the blonde had vanished earlier. He wasn't sure if it was curiosity or worry that drove him onwards. When he reached the trees, he shifted his footfalls to be softer, muffling his steps as he wandered through the small grove of oaks and maples. He paused as he spotted a bit of blonde hair poking out from behind a tree. Marluxia leaned to the side to get a better look and frowned when he noticed Roxas had another joint tucked into the corner of his lips.

What worried him more was the obvious pain marring his features. He looked like he was going through emotional agony. Marluxia straightened his position and retraced his steps out of the woods. Nothing he said would be able to ease the blonde's pain. He mentally filed the information away for later use and headed back to his place of residence. Yet even after he plopped himself down in his chair and Axel asked how his walk went, Marluxia never brought up meeting the blonde. He didn't have the heart to.

' _I can't put him through that again.'_

XxXxX

Roxas was sure eating rubber was bad for him but he found himself chewing through the fourth eraser that day to keep his frazzled nerves placid. He couldn't figure out why he was so jittery but he had an inkling he had something to do with his math grade. With Axel's help, he managed to get a 95% on his latest exam, the grades posted just minutes earlier. It was a good start but he had a long way to go before the end of the semester. All he had to do was survive one test at a time. The problem was if he flopped another exam he was screwed. Retaking the class wouldn't be an option since he would have already lost his scholarship by then.

Exhaling sharply through his nose, he shut his laptop lid to focus on the work in front of him. He glared at his math book and scowled at the notes sitting alongside it. As neat as his handwriting was, Roxas couldn't decipher what he had written on his pages from the previous lecture. The professor didn't do a very good job explaining and when Roxas went to the TA for some clarity, the overtly bubbly girl didn't do much better. If anything, it made the material more confusing. At least he got a piece of free gum from the visit.

"You feeling okay, Roxas?" Pence asked. Roxas shifted his gaze to the left where the brunette was curled up in his chair with an instant ramen cup, anatomy notes sprawled across the surface of his desk. "Sorry, you were giving you math book some major death rays."

Roxas sighed and leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. For once it was flat from his hands pressing it down when he cradled his head in attempts to concentrate. He wondered when the last time he showered was. "Just the same old shit as usual," Roxas muttered, covering his eyes with the crook of his elbow to block out the sharp light of the room. Pence hummed under his breath, taking a slurp of his noodles.

"Gotcha. Say…" Pence paused to shove more noodles into his mouth. "I was wondering what that scar on your chin was from. I have been meaning to ask for weeks but I always forget." He watched Roxas rub the pale colored dot under his lower lip with his free hand, almost as if he had done the motion hundreds of times.

"I had a piercing that got infected," Roxas replied.

"Seriously? That's bad ass! Well, not the infection part but piercings are pretty wick," Pence said, tucking more noodles into his cheeks. Roxas pried his arm away from his face and grabbed his phone from his desk. After scrolling through his old pictures, he managed to find what he was looking for and offered the device to his roommate. Pence took the phone and grinned, setting his empty cup on his desk. "Damn! That looks sick. Shame you had to get it removed."

The picture was from eight months ago during his senior year. Roxas still had thin traces of eyeliner from his hardcore emo phase under his eyes while his hair was even spikier than it was currently. Along with the blonde's ear piercings, he had a black sphere under his lower lip. Pence frowned when he noted how angry Roxas looked. Sure, his roommate was a bit on the colder side but it was nothing compared to the icy glare the younger version of Roxas sent towards the camera. It almost sent shivers down the brunette's spine.

Pence handed the phone back, Roxas tossing it onto his math book without much thought. "Ever want to get it re-pierced?" he asked. Roxas shrugged.

"Haven't thought about it, honestly. My parents weren't a fan of it and it's probably better if I don't. I chewed on the damn thing all the time," Roxas admitted with a faint echo of a chuckle.

"Well, you're parents aren't around up here so, as far as I'm concerned, you can do as you damn well please," Pence offered, turning back to his study materials. "I always wanted a tattoo but my mom won't let me get one. Hayner agreed we would get some before we graduated."

"They're not that interesting," Roxas commented.

Pence gave his roommate a skeptical look. "Really? Mr. Emo pants thinks tattoos are lame?"

"Well, yeah. Tattoos used to mean something to people. They had stories. Now they're just beauty trends like the newest mascara," Roxas vented. He raised an eyebrow when Pence chuckled.

"Sorry, you just sounded so deep there for a second. I was expecting you to start reciting mantras like a fortune cookie," the brunette teased.

"Gee, thanks!" Roxas shot back, both of them chuckling. He felt his body wobble and he shifted his footing on the floor, his hand catching his head as he fell. Pence frowned and watched his roommate sit still for a solid minute before opening his mouth.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look a bit shaky," Pence murmured.

"Jus' tired," Roxas slurred, turning back to his math book. He found it hard to focus his gaze on the numbers, his eyes straining to keep the lines from blurring. Shaking his head, he stood from his chair and climbed up into his bunk. "I'm goin' to bed," he said.

Pence's frown deepened. "Um, okay. Just tired, I guess." He stood and switched off the overhead light before turning on his desk lamp. Pence felt a different sort of anxiety start to simmer inside him as he glanced at the clock. 7:03. He glanced up at the blonde, who had slipped under his covers without even changing his clothes. It wasn't long before he could hear the soft breathing echoing off of Roxas's pillow. Pence glanced over at Roxas's desk as it light up, the blonde's phone receiving a text. Curious to what it was, Pence glanced at the screen before it went dark. It was from someone labeled as 'Axel', the sender asking about how Roxas was enduring math and if he needed help for his next exam. His dark eyes flicked up to the teen in the bunk. _'What the Hell is going on with you?'_ he wondered.

XxXxX

Waking the next morning felt like the biggest mistake Roxas had ever made and that was saying a lot. When he opened his eyes, he found his eyes still struggled to focus on what was going on around him. Climbing out of bed, his hands wouldn't stop shaking. He checked the time, finding it time for him to get to class, and shoved his materials into his backpack before heading off. He could feel the empty hollowness that was his stomach clawing at him but he didn't have time to eat. Yet by the time he sat down in his desk for English Lit, his legs felt like they were about to give out.

During the lecture, he could hardly concentrate. The words his professor said were muddled as they reached his thoughts. He was so lost in his own head he didn't even notice when it was time to leave until Axel stood up in front of him. Roxas noticed he hadn't pulled out any of his materials from his backpack, as he spent the entire lecture staring at the front of the classroom, and grabbed his bag. Like a graceful toddler, he tripped over his chair and crashed into the desk next to him.

Axel looked over at the blonde as he hoisted his bag onto his shoulder. "Careful there, Roxas," he teased. He frowned as the other glared daggers at him.

"Mind your own business, shithead!" Roxas growled. Then he stormed off, leaving Axel confused and concerned.

Roxas ended up skipping lunch because his two bites of sandwich made him queasy and he ended up throwing it back up in the bathroom a few minutes later. Even sipping on water had a metallic taste to it. He ended being late for his afternoon math lecture and, since he failed to complete it the night before, his assignment was late. Roxas went up after class to explain but instead he just snapped at the professor, literally shoving the torn out notebook page into the man's face.

What happened afterwards was a blur as the next thing Roxas knew he was grabbing his car keys. ' _When did I get back to my dorm?'_ he wondered as he shoved the keys into his pocket. He saw Pence staring and snapped at his roommate to shut up. Pence, who hadn't even said a word yet, watched his roommate storm out of their room, the blonde not even shutting the door behind him.

His mind faded out again and he found himself driving across campus. Roxas tried to figure out where he was going but his blurry vision made it hard to distinguish where he was. All he had was the urge to go somewhere. Roxas rubbed his eyes in attempts to clear his vision but it didn't work. In fact, it started growing worse the farther he drove. He blacked out again and became alert when his face greeted the pavement as he tripped getting out of his car. Roxas looked down at the road, confused to why he was on the ground. He wasn't sure how long he lied in the street but it was probably awhile as he was shaken awake by someone out walking their dog. Roxas was helped to his feet and without an explanation, walked off towards the row of townhouses nearby.

It finally hit him he was where Axel lived when he looked over the row of townhouses. He wondered what he was doing out there as he walked up to a door and knocked, finding it the wrong building. Roxas must have said Axel's name because the person pointed him two doors down. So the blonde wandered across the tiny excuse of a front lawn to the correct home. He blinked, finding himself leaning against the front door as he rang the bell. When did he get to the door?

Roxas stumbled forward as Demyx ripped open the door, the dirty blonde catching him before he ended up on the ground again. "Whoa, hey there!" Demyx greeted, setting Roxas upright again. "We were just heading…out…" Demyx frowned at the abrasion on Roxas's check speckled with bits of asphalt. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Where's Axel?" Roxas muttered, his eyes unfocused.

"He's right over here," Demyx said, nodding towards the kitchen. "Ax! Roxas is…sort of here." The red head stepped out of the kitchen, a long list of groceries they needed to buy in one hand and a pen tucked behind his ear. Axel frowned at the sight of Roxas, hurrying over to blonde.

"Hey, Rox, you feeling alight?" Axel asked. Roxas didn't reply. He wavered a bit on his feet, staying upright only because Demyx had his hands on the teen's shoulders. "Shit, something's wrong."

"Should we get him to the student health services?" Demyx asked.

Axel shook his head. "Let's get him to the hospital."

"Do you think it's that bad?" Demyx asked, his eyes growing worried. Axel shook his head, meaning he did not know.

"What's going on?" The pair turned to find Marluxia striding over, empty plate in hand. He caught the sight of Roxas and quickly set his plate on the counter, pulling out his cellphone. "I'm calling Lexaeus. You two get your shoes on." Marluxia turned his back as he made the phone call while Demyx and Axel traded off keeping Roxas steady as they pulled on some shoes.

Axel pressed his hand to Roxas's forehead, feeling cool and clammy skin under his touch. Roxas gave a jerk and slapped his hand away. "Don't fucking touch me!" the blonde barked.

"Hey!" Axel called out as the teen struggled in his grasp. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Get off of me!" Roxas shouted. He managed to shove Axel away and staggered into a run, rushing off towards his car.

"Shit!" Axel cried, racing after him. Demyx didn't even finish lacing up his second boot before darting after the pair, calling for them to wait up. Marluxia whirled around at the outburst and watched the trio race out the door.

"Lexaeus, hold on. I'll get back to you in a second," the pink haired man said, hanging up before his house mate could reply. Then he hurried after the others.

Roxas ran for his car, realizing the keys were still in the ignition as he checked his pockets. Thankfully, the doors were unlocked so he could climb inside. As he shifted into gear, he felt a tug on his arm and turned to find Axel trying to get him out of the car. The passenger door opened with Demyx's concerned face peering inside.

"Roxas, you're in no state to drive," Axel argued as the blonde fought against him.

"I don't think he's listening," Demyx called out. "Hold on." He climbed into the passenger side and squeezed into the back seat, restraining Roxas's arms above his head so the blonde could no longer fight back.

"Let's get him over to the passenger seat and we can take his car," Axel suggested. He shut the driver door and went around to the passenger side to pull the blonde into the next seat. As the red head climbed onto the seat, Roxas turned and bit down on Demyx's arm. The dirty blonde yelped, recoiling as the pain radiated down his arm. Roxas broke his arms free and the car darted forward, Demyx flying back into his seat and Axel crashing against the back of the passenger side. The red head clung to the seat as the door behind him hung still open as they sped off down the street.

The second Marluxia reached the car, it took off with a squeal of tires. His heart seized in his chest and he sprinted after the vehicle, calling for the police as he watched Roxas rocket past the stop sign at the end of the street. ' _He's going to get someone killed!'_ Marluxia cried in his head.

Demyx managed to pry himself away from his seat, blood trailing down his arm from beneath his fingers clamping down over the wound. "Axel," he called out to the red head. He could see Axel had his eyes pinched shut, the elder praying the car would stop over and over again. Demyx grabbed Roxas's shoulder but the blonde shrugged him off. "Roxas, you need to slow down," Demyx ordered, watching the speedometer crawl past seventy. The blonde didn't reply. "Roxas! You're going to get someone killed!"

Demyx watched the blonde change from ticked off to full on panicked in a blink of an eye. Roxas slammed onto the brakes, his forehead hitting the steering wheel and knocking him out cold. Demyx was slammed into the front seats while Axel barely clung onto the seat tight enough to keep him from flying through the windshield. Roxas slumped against the driver side door and the car turned sharply, sending the car spinning. Demyx was flung around the backseat like a shirt in the washing machine before he slammed into a door as the car smashed into a light post. There was a groan and a crash as the pole shattered onto the roof.

Then there was silence.

Demyx pried himself away from the door, hissing as his ribs stung in his chest. He could feel something hot trail down the side of his face and he didn't have to guess too hard to know what it was. He thanked his lucky stars the back seat was cramped so it kept him from launching too far away. The same could not be said for Axel. Demyx crept into the spaces between the front seats to find the red head was unconscious, wedged in the space on the floor with glass sprinkled over his hair and his feet twisted over the gear shift. Demyx glanced over at the door hanging open behind the red read head, the window blown out from the impact. He fished out his phone from his pocket and groaned at the cracked screen. Between the pair in the front and the glass everywhere, there was no real safe way for him to escape the car.

"Shit," Demyx hissed as he eased himself back into the back seats. He rested his head on the top of the seat and closed his eyes.

A few minutes ticked by before he heard someone running across the pavement, their steps heavy as they were clearly not athletic. The sounds of sirens echoed in the distance while a car screeched to a halt on the other side of the street. Demyx cracked open his eyes as he heard his name being called. Roxas's door was pried open and he could hear someone gasping for breath outside.

"Demyx?!" Zexion shouted, praying for his friend to reply.

"I'm alive," Demyx groaned.

"Oh, thanks God," Zexion breathed. "Just hang in there. We'll get you all out in a minute."

"Hey, Zexy? Can we wait until tomorrow to get groceries?" Demyx asked.

Zexion stuck his head into the car, his eyes murderous. "I don't care about the fucking groceries!" he shouted. Demyx frowned as he saw the water welling up in the silverette's eyes. He gritted his teeth as he forced himself to sit upright and placed his hand over Zexion's on the door frame. He gave his friend a reassuring smile, although it hurt his ribs to use his core muscles.

When the police arrived, they started assessing the scene but didn't touch any of the occupants in the car in case they had spinal injuries. Paramedics showed up a few minutes after and removed Roxas from the car first. Then Axel was pried out from his cramped space before they eased Demyx into the space outside the car. As he was walked over to the ambulance, Zexion stayed by his side. He could tell his friend wanted to hug him, although he refrained as Demyx's ribs felt like they were stuck in a pressure cooker. He shot his friend one last smile before the ambulance doors shut and took the trio off to the hospital.

Zexion turned and headed back to his car, noting Marluxia was on his phone now that he had recovered from his jogging escapade. The silverette detoured and headed to his house mate, noting Marluxia was chewing on his thumb nail like he so often did when he was anxious. Zexion waited for Marluxia to finish his call before speaking.

"How are you doing?" Zexion asked.

"Shaken like an abused martini," Marluxia replied, pushing back his sweaty bangs from his face. "Good Lord, that scared me." His eyes shifted over to the damaged vehicle. "I made arrangements to get his care to the body shop. Seifer said he'll look at it to see if the damage is salvageable."

"Have you called anyone else yet?" Zexion pressed. Marluxia shook his head.

"I'll let Riku and Terra know. You get to the hospital," the pink haired man stated. Zexion gave his friend a grateful hug before hurrying to his car and driving off. Marluxia sighed and glanced at the wreckage again. ' _Just please be okay,'_ he prayed.

XxXxX

Roxas woke with a start and nearly screamed as the pain started radiating through his skull. He pressed his hands to his temples to stop the throbbing, feeling a tug in his arm. His eyes drifted over to an IV line up towards a bag beside him labeled as GLUCOSE in small black letters. There was another IV bag next to it giving him what he assumed was fluids as his mouth felt like a dessert terrarium.

"You seem to be making a speedy recovery." Roxas shifted his eyes to the other side of his bed where Zexion sat in the open chair, his coat folded on his lap. "You had us all scared half to death," the man admitted.

"Where am I exactly?" Roxas asked, his voice hoarse. He attempted to summon some moisture in his mouth without success.

"The hospital. You were in a car accident," Zexion explained, picking at the lint on his jacket.

"Car accident? But…how?" Roxas pressed. Zexion raised a confused eyebrow. "I went to bed early. I never left my dorm."

"Roxas, do you know what day it is?"

The blonde frowned, glancing at the bright light outside. "Tuesday."

"It's Wednesday morning," Zexion corrected. Roxas was about to protest when there was a knock on the door. Lexaeus strolled in wearing a while lab coat and a pair of readers perched on top of his head as he flipped through a clipboard. "Morning, Lexaeus," Zexion greeted.

"Good morning," the burly man replied. He looked up at Roxas and strolled over to the blonde's bedside. He raised the back of the bed so Roxas could sit upright and began doing some basic examinations. "How are you feeling today, Roxas?" the med student asked.

"Foggy," Roxas replied. "Was I really in a car accident?" The teen hissed as Lexaeus put some light pressure on his forehead.

"You're lucky you didn't get a concussion or fly through the windshield," Lexaeus noted. "Although consider yourself fortunate you didn't die of self-starvation first." Roxas attempted to stammer a reply but the med student hushed him so check the teen's breathing. "When you got here yesterday afternoon you had a blood sugar of 34."

"Is that bad?" Roxas asked.

"Considering an average human is between 70 and 100 then yes, it's very bad. Hypoglycemia is a very serious matter," Lexaeus stated.

Roxas frowned. "Hypo…isn't that what diabetics have?"

The large man nodded. "Yes, but it can happen to anyone. Go through self-starvation long enough and your body will burn up all its stores. Seeing as you don't have much body fat to use as a secondary fuel reserve, your body just started crashing. If you hadn't been brought in when you did, you might have suffered some cognitive damage from being in a hypoglycemic state for an extended period of time." Lexaeus stood up straight and hung his stethoscope around his neck. "But your labs are within normal limits this morning. If you get down some food, I'd expect you should be able to discharge by this afternoon." Roxas was enamored the whole time Lexaeus was talking. Maybe it was because he sounded so profession or the fact it was the most words he had ever heard the man speak. In fact, when he thought about it, it was the first time he had ever heard Lexaeus speak.

Roxas realized he had spaced out and missed whatever the med student had asked. "Sorry?" he pressed.

"I asked if you could tell me what you ate in the past few days," Lexaeus repeated, flipping his papers on his clipboard to a new page.

"Um, a bagel. Some Pocky. I really didn't have much of an appetite this weekend," Roxas admitted.

"Any nausea?"

"Yeah, a little."

Lexaeus nodded and scribbled some notes down. "I'll try and get you some medication to help with that so you can eat normally again. I'm also going to put in a request form for you to see the dietician to help you with regulating a meal plan. They'll help you find foods that may be easier for you to eat and digest," the med student prescribed. "Don't feel like you have to get your appetite back all at once. Stick with smaller meals for now as eating normal sized meals may make you feel nauseous. Your body is going to need nourishment to get stronger. A few weeks of well-balanced meals and snacks ought to get you back to normal." Lexaeus nodded as he finished writing and tucked the clipboard under his arm. "Zexion can help you order some breakfast. If you manage to eat that and a decent lunch, I'll have you discharged."

Roxas and Zexion thanked the man as he left and fell into a state of quiet. The blonde closed his eyes with a sigh, failing to conjure up his memories from the last twenty four hours. His head still hurt, although it wasn't long before a nurse came by with some pain medications. When they were left alone again, Zexion fidgeted in his chair, checking his phone with a frown when he found no texts or missed calls.

"Hey," Roxas called out. He cracked open his eyes to see Zexion looked up from his phone. "Can you tell me what happened yesterday?" he asked in a quiet voice. "I mean, if you don't know that's fine."

"Oh, no. I can tell you what I know but there's going to be some holes. I only know as much as Marluxia's told me," Zexion warned. Roxas mentioned it was alright so Zexion continued. "The police asked around for suspicious behavior as we first assumed it might have been drug related. No offense."

"It's fine," Roxas muttered, thinking back to when Marluxia caught him in the park.

"You're roommate was worried and stopped by to see you yesterday with your other friends. Hayner and Olette, I believe?" Roxas nodded. "Pence had taken the liberty of collecting your next math assignment for you. It sounded like you assaulted your math professor but once we learned it wasn't entirely your fault, he waved off any charges." Zexion reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, handing it over to the blonde. Roxas unfolded the sheet and his eyes widened at the sight of his math assignment he didn't finish Monday night. In the bottom corner was a note in red pen.

Hey Kid  
No hard feelings. Get better and get back to class. Can't have you slacking off now.  
You can redo this assignment. Bring it to me when you can.  
Cid

Roxas's fingers curled into the paper, crinkling it beneath his grasp. His entire chest hurt, like he was trying to breathe through a pillow. He turned to put it on his bedside table and noticed a small stack of papers next to a sunflower in a vase and a card. Roxas picked up the papers to find it was his missed homework Pence had picked up for him. He checked the card and found notes from his trio of friends in there wishing him well and, in Hayner's case, telling him he was "too cool to die". The pinching in Roxas's chest grew tighter as the papers and card sat on his lap like lead weights.

"What happened after that?" Roxas asked, his voice hoarse in his throat.

"You managed to drive out to our residence and it sounded like you were dead on your feet. I was upstairs at the time when you got there but I heard the uproar and saw you drive off down the street with Marluxia chasing after you from the upstairs window. I guess Axel and Demyx tried to keep you from driving away for your own safety but they…" Zexion paused, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "They ended up getting hurt."

Roxas's eyes widened, his pulsing heart the only sound resonating in his ears. "I…I hurt them?" he pressed.

"It wasn't your fault," Zexion said, although they both could tell it was a false reassurance. "It wasn't anything too serious, thank goodness. Demyx had some fractured ribs, some minor lacerations and a puncture wound where you…bit him." Roxas winced, taking a mental note to apologize to the musician later.

"And Axel?" he dared to ask.

"Bruised and a small bump on his head, but alright for the most part. He's back in class today, although Marluxia was really against it." Zexion jumped as his phone vibrated and his eyes darted to the screen, his shoulders slumping as he read over the text. "Marluxia's on his way over."

"You sound disappointed," Roxas noted.

"Well, I was hoping to hear from Demyx and when they're planning on discharging him. It sounds like tomorrow from when I talked to him yesterday. The goof was still sleeping when I dropped by this morning before coming here," Zexion rambled. He caught himself and composed his thoughts, tucking some lose hair behind his ear. "

Roxas snorted softly, looking down at his lap. "Must be nice to have someone worried about you." When he looked up, he heard a small gasp from Zexion. Roxas ran his fingers over his cheek, the tips coming up wet. Tears? He couldn't remember the last time he cried. Zexion stood and set his coat on the chair. Then he stepped over to the bedside and pulled Roxas's head into his chest with a warm embrace.

Unlike before, he felt all control over his emotions break. He pressed his face into the man's shirt, sobs quietly wracking through his body. His chest felt like it was being stabbed with a searing knife. Fingers clenched the man's shirt, wrinkling the nice fabric under his grasp. He just wanted to scream! But he couldn't. He didn't have the energy for it. Zexion hummed a gentle tune that soothed his frazzled nerves. Of all the people he ever opened up to, Zexion was the last person he would have guessed. Yet the man was welcoming, warm like his embrace. Roxas realized it was such a sharp contrast to his cool pallet of his hair and eyes, although the steely shaded features were well fitted of the stern side of his personality.

With his emotions spent, Roxas allowed himself to relax. Zexion must have sensed him falling asleep against his chest and eased him back onto the bed, his lips curled upwards in a kind smile. "Let's get you some food," he suggested.

When the food came, Roxas didn't realize how hungry he was until he took his first few bites. Zexion had to keep warning him to slow down and not eat so much like a mother lecturing her chick, although Roxas appreciated it since he didn't feel sick by the time he was done eating. The teen leaned back as he sipped at his lukewarm coffee when there was another knock on his door. Marluxia entered with a large bouquet of pink flowers and, although his smile was bright, his eyes were anything but. They were dull, lackluster of their usual spark. Roxas noted the dark bags under his eyes and wondered if they were his doing as well.

Marluxia set the flowers on the bedside table next to the sunflower Olette had brought. "You're in good spirits this morning," the pink haired man noted. "Axel will be glad to hear you're awake. I don't think he slept at all last night to be honest."

"I'll let him know," Zexion offered, sending a text to their red headed friend.

Roxas sipped his coffee while Marluxia pulled up the spare chair to his bedside. "I'm sorry about what happened," he muttered.

"Things happen," Marluxia said, waving off the thought. "I'm just glad you're alright. Do you have a time of discharge?"

"Today if I eat a good lunch," Roxas replied.

"Well then eat up. Axel only got out yesterday and he's still shaken up. I think it would be good if you met with him later today to help put his mind at ease," Marluxia requested.

"Yeah, I can do that. I owe him and Demyx for risking their lives."

Marluxia leaned against the armrest of his chair and propped his chin in his hand. "I'm just glad Axel didn't go into shock," the man mused.

"Shock?" Roxas questioned, his brows pressing down on brow.

"Axel was in an accident back in high school but this was before I met him," Marluxia explained. "He moved to my school the middle of his senior year and was pretty clammed up about the whole incident. I never pried but it took a lot of coaxing for him to get him out of the gloom he encased himself in. From what I heard, he used to be quite the party seeker."

The gears in Roxas's mind clicked into place, excitement bubbling up inside of him as the pin prick of faded memories in his mind resurfaced. "Holy shit," he breathed. He turned to Marluxia. "What school did you go to?!" he demanded.

The pinked haired man was taken aback by the blonde's sudden change in disposition. "Trinity High," Marluxia replied.

"In downtown Hollow Bastion?" Roxas pressed. The elder nodded. "Axel used to go to school with me. That's why I recognized him before. I went to Chesteron out in the suburbs." Marluxia burst out laughing, his chuckles boisterous in compared to his usual composed nature.

"You lived across town from me! I can't believe we never ran into each other before," Marluxia admitted.

"Well, I was only a freshman when Axel moved away so I didn't know him for that long," Roxas admitted.

"Astounding. Who knew our worlds were so close together?" The pink haired man rose from his seat and straightened out his coat. "I apologize I can't stay longer. I have classes that need to be attended to. As much as we would like it to, knowledge does not learn itself." Marluxia said his farewells and left the pair alone once more.

Zexion left a short while later when he received a text from Demyx saying he was awake, leaving Roxas alone to his thoughts. The silverette had offered to take him back to campus once he was discharged and finished meeting with the dietician. Roxas groaned as he realized he no longer had a car, his expensive gift now in a state Roxas could only guess. He prayed it was fixable since there was no way he would be able to afford a new car, especially one of the same caliber.

Lexaeus stopped by again when he was eating lunch and they finished off the paper work for the teen's release. After changing out of his scratchy hospital PJs, Roxas visited with the dietician for an hour working out a plan for the next month. He was given a weight goal and was scheduled for another appointment in November. Roxas wasn't excited about returning but it meant he was still alive.

Not like he needed the reminder.

Zexion drove them back to campus in his FIAT, and dropped off Roxas at his dorm. Pence bombarded him with questions when he first entered but then remembered his roommate didn't like to be pressed and shut his mouth. Roxas opened up a bit and answered some of Pence's questions, thanking the brunette for the homework. Pence was overjoyed when Roxas openly talked to him most of the afternoon, even if it was mostly about random hobbies. He offered to have Roxas join him for a movie but Roxas declined. They agreed to meet up with Hayner and Olette the next day before Roxas excused himself.

Roxas ventured down towards the lounge on his floor and quickly detoured when he saw Zack setting up for a floor activity he planned for later in the evening. He ventured down another flight and bumped into Vanitas coming up from the fourth floor. The ebony haired man smirked and clasped the blonde on the shoulder.

"Hey, you're alive," Vanitas teased, giving the blonde a once over to make check Roxas was still in once piece. "Glad to see you back in action."

"Thanks, I guess," Roxas muttered. Vanitas chuckled and patted the teen's shoulder before shoving his hands into his pockets, rattling the chains hanging on his hips.

"Don't be a stranger," Vanitas called, heading off towards his room with a wave over his shoulder. Roxas headed in the opposite direction towards the lounge. Slipping inside the privet space, he was glad to find the room empty. Double checking no one was lingering outside, he pulled out his phone and opened the contacts. His thumbs hovered over Axel's name for what seemed like a year, although it wasn't even a minute, before he pressed the call button.

Roxas pressed his phone to his ear and waited, counting the number of rings before the line connected. "Hello?" Axel greeted, his voice sour.

"Um, hey Axel," Roxas greeted.

"Roxas! Fuck man, you scared the shit out of me," Axel said, panic fluttering in his voice. "How are you? Zexion said you were released today."

"Yeah, I'm doing okay." Roxas leaned against the door behind him, shoving his free hand in his pocket. "I have to follow some diet regime for the next month."

"Yeah? How's that going so far?" Axel asked, his voice much calmer than before.

"Breakfast was good. I had no idea liquid eggs could taste so good." He heard Axel chuckle. "Lunch was a bit harder. I sort of just picked at my food but I made sure to force something down. I'm supposed to pick up a prescription sometime to help with the nausea and stimulate my appetite."

"Where are you supposed to pick it up?"

"Walgreen, south side of campus," Roxas replied. "I'll have to see if I can pick it up tomorrow when I go out with Pence and the others."

"If you want I can drive you. I'm all done with classes for the day and there's sweet little ice cream shop down by there if you want to go," Axel offered.

Roxas perked up at the sound of ice cream. "Yeah, that sounds great."

"Sweet. I'll come pick you up in a bit."

"Oh, and Axel?" Roxas interjected. "Sorry about what happened." There was a long pause. "Axel?"

"I'm just glad you're okay," Axel replied before ending the call. Roxas pulled his phone away from his ear and stared at the screen. It wasn't hard to see Axel was still uncomfortable about the topic but Roxas decided not to dwell on it.

He headed back to his room and found Pence had left, most likely to go see the movie he mentioned earlier. He ventured over to his closet and pried open the doors, his eyes staring at the clothes inside of it. Nothing looked appealing. He finally settled on a baggy grey sweatshirt, black cargo pants and his favorite dog collar. Then he slipped into his coat and scarf before heading downstairs to wait.


	4. 4-Salt of the Sea

Roxas found himself a seat on the curb and watched his breath swirl through the air as he exhaled. It brought him back to the week prior once again where Marluxia scolded him like a toddler. His hands curled tighter in his pockets as he thought of all the different gestures of kindness people had shown him since he came to college. He had friends again, people who truly wanted to hang out with him and cared nothing of his past. People wanted him well.

People wanted him safe.

The tightness returned to his chest but Roxas refused to let it take over again. He looked at the sky as the last bits of daylight began to fade, turning blues to bright oranges and whites to pale pink. In an hour, the sky would start filling with speckles of stars. His eyes caught headlights approaching and he stood from his cold seat, brushing the autumn dust from his rear. The car slowed and stopped before him. Roxas opened the door and slid into his seat, muttering a generic greeting.

Before he could even reach for his seatbelt, he was crushed against Axel's chest. Roxas's eyes went wide as he felt the man's arms trembling against him, slowly falling still as the seconds ticked by. Roxas's ear picked up the pounding heartbeat from the other side of Axel's ribs. He felt his cheeks flush at the close proximity, the awkward silence making him want to squirm. A full minute passed before Axel let Roxas sit back in his seat and get settled for the drive.

"Sorry," Axel apologized, staring out the front window. "You had me really worried." The car pulled away from the curb and they headed off across campus.

Roxas glanced at the red head and noted the heavy bags under his eyes as well. "Marluxia said you didn't sleep last night," he brought up. Axel's expression became pained, although it appeared as though he was trying to hide it.

"I...did Marluxia say anything to you?" Axel asked.

"He mentioned you were in an accident but didn't know any details about it," Roxas recalled.

"Right. I was sort of having some flashbacks. You know, nightmares and shit."

Roxas leaned his head against the passenger window. "Yeah, I do," he murmured. Axel glanced at the blonde before continuing.

"Anyway, like I said we're all just glad you're okay."

"Are…" Roxas chewed on his bottom lip out of habit only there was no piercing there like there had been in the past. "Are you alright?"

"Just some bumps and bruises. I guess I went into shock or something but I don't remember it. I just woke up with Marluxia pretty much wailing in my ear. They ran some tests and found I was stable so they let me go late last night, although Marluxia was ready to strap me to the hospital bed." Roxas glanced over at Axel and noticed a smirk on the man's lips, lifting a bit of weight from his shoulders. "Sounds like Demyx took the worst of it but knowing him he'll come back just fine. I got a text from him right before you called saying they're letting him out this evening. Zexion will probably be babying him all night," Axel realized.

"He really cares a lot about Demyx," Roxas noted.

"That's because Demyx sort of helped him out. They haven't been friends very long but Zexion's parents died before he can remember. Coming to college was a bit hard on him, seeing all these other students working hard for their parents or their parents supporting their kids with the ups and downs. Zexion just sort of started falling down. Then Demyx came along and picked him right up, placing him back on his feet like nothing ever happened. They're complete opposites but I haven't seen two people become friends so quick in a long time." As he spoke, Roxas could see Axel begin to relax. The chill atmosphere helped Roxas smooth down the last of his frazzled nerves. He caught Axel casting him a glance and Roxas averted his gaze out the window, his face heating up again. He heard the man chuckle. "What?" Axel asked.

"What do you mean what?" Roxas pressed.

"You're being weird."

"Am not!" Roxas protested. Axel burst into a fit of giggles while the blonde kept trying to defend himself with no avail. "You're hopeless."

"Me? Aw, that hurts," Axel teased, clutching his chest as if it were in pain. "But seriously, what's with the weirdness?"

"It's not weirdness. I'm just…pondering," Roxas clarified.

"Pondering."

The blonde shrugged. "Yeah."

"And what are you pondering?" Axel pressed, glancing over at the teen leaning against the passenger door.

Roxas tried to think of something to say so he didn't sound like an idiot but he ended up blurting out his thoughts anyway. "Why did I go to your place?" he asked. Axel pursed his lips as he mulled it over. "I mean, Pence was right there and I could have gone to him for help. But why did I risk my life driving across campus?"

"I…I really don't know," Axel admitted. "You weren't in a thought processing state of mind so it could have been for a number of reasons. I'm just glad you showed up at our house or you might have run your car through a building." Roxas shuddered at the thought.

They arrived at the Walgreens and Roxas popped in to pick up his prescription. Then they headed a few streets down to a small ice cream parlor decorated with enough pink and frills to make Hello Kitty excited. Roxas arched his eyebrows at his companion but Axel simply chuckled at the blonde's reaction.

"It's really good ice cream," Axel defended. Roxas decided to take his word for it.

They stepped inside and were hit with the smells of freshly baked waffle cones and frozen dairy. Roxas's mouth started drooling at the thought of sweets. The place was small, holding six tables and a reasonable sized cooler for the frozen treats. A red headed girl leaned against the counter wearing a pale pink dress and ruffled apron, her eyes glued to a book.

"Just one sec guys," she called out as the pair went to look at the flavors through the glass window. The girl trailed her finger over the lines down to the bottom of the page and flipped it, closing the book after checking her page. "Alright, sorry about that. You know how school is." The girl wandered over and began arranging her scoops in the warm water bath. Roxas glanced at her name tag and found her name was Kairi.

As he looked over the flavors, Roxas found himself getting overwhelmed by the number of unique tastes to try. Many of the flavors he had never even heard of before. He looked over at Axel, who was lost in concentration at the display case. "What are you getting?" he muttered to his companion.

"Dunno," Axel replied. "Maybe I'll try something new. Russian Rumball sounds pretty tempting." Roxas looked over the flavors a second time. "Can't decide?"

"It's hard," Roxas complained.

"What are some flavors you like?" Kairi asked, folding her hands behind her back.

"Sweet. I'm up to trying anything," Roxas replied.

"You should try the Sea Salt ice cream. It's one of our all-time best sellers," Kairi offered.

Roxas glanced over at Axel as the man hummed happily. "Yeah, that stuff is the shit. Like not even kidding," Axel stated, making Kairi giggle. "Seifer had it once and ate almost an entire gallon. I have friends and family that visit me here and the first thing out of their mouth is "We need to go to that place with the blue ice cream!"."

"You too?" Kairi asked, both her and Axel breaking out laughing.

"Alright, I'll get the Sea Salt in a waffle bowl," Roxas decided.

"Super. And for you?" Kairi asked the other red head.

"Just a bowl of your Coffee Toffee Blast. I really need some caffeine right now," Axel replied, trying not to yawn. Kairi scooped up their treats while the boys wandered over to the register. Roxas pulled out his wallet but Axel shook his head, pulling out a bill. "Nah, my treat."

Roxas frowned. "I owe you, remember?" the blonde reminded.

"Buy me dinner sometime. This one's on me," Axel said with a teasing smile. Roxas felt uneasy letting Axel pay but couldn't argue with free ice cream. He picked up his frozen treat and found a table by the front window, Axel joining him shortly while Kairi returned to her book. "This place is packed during the evening, especially on Saturdays since they stay open until two. The bar crowd just loves it here," Axel stated as he sat down.

Roxas took the red head's word for fact and spooned a bit of ice cream into his mouth. The second the blue dairy touched his tongue, he was hit by a wave of salt followed by a mellow tone of sweet. Roxas must have lit up like a Christmas tree because Axel started laughing at his reaction. The taste of sugar on his tongue made his stomach flip and he started shoveling more into his mouth. Then he remembered Zexion lecturing him and he slowed, taking small bites at a time.

"I think he likes it," Axel teased, taking a bite of his own ice cream.

Roxas buried his spoon in his mound of sugary blue cream, his eyes locked on the table. "I don't suppose you know what happened to my car?" he asked.

"Marluxia sent it to the shop. Seifer works there so he's taking a look at it," Axel replied.

"How much is it going to cost?" Roxas braced himself for the number of zeros he was going to have to face.

"Well, considering this is Marluxia we're talking about, he's probably concocted some way to bribe a discount out of the auto repair shop." Roxas perked up at the prospect of cheaper repairs but he felt ill at ease with the red head's countenance. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say Marluxia will pay for the bill himself, but that means you're going to have to owe him big time."

"I'd practically have to give him the car," Roxas retorted. "I can pay…"

"With what?" Axel shot back. "He knows you're on a scholarship and you're pretty much broke. You can't ride out on student loans forever."

Roxas scowled, stabbing his ice cream with his spoon. "Well you can tell Marluxia to mind his own fucking business." Axel burst out laughing, causing Roxas to look up at the red head. It felt like one of those corny anime moments where time slowed for just a few seconds as Axel leaned across the table with a devilish smirk on his face. Roxas felt his cheeks heat up as acid green bore into his brain. He shivered as Axel wiped his thumb under his lower lip, sitting back in his chair with a drop of blue cream on his finger.

"How you got ice cream on your face amazes me," Axel commented. He licked the digit clean, his smirk growing on his features. "Tastes even better then I remember." Roxas felt his mind go blank. Not even the pounding of his heart hammering in his ears made a sound in his mind. He couldn't figure out why Axel was playing off the gesture in such a cool manor. Heck, Axel just went back to eating his own ice cream like nothing happened. The red head caught his stare and raised an eyebrow, spoon half raised to his mouth. Then he did the unthinkable and held it out. "Want a taste? It's pretty good," Axel offered.

Roxas tried to form words in his throat but it came out as a pathetic hum, which Axel misinterpreted as an acceptance to the offering. The red head held out his spoon and tapped it against the blonde's lips. Roxas's mind screamed at him to flip the table or pound the man's face in or do _something_. He cracked his lips to speak but the neurons were blocked in his brain my Axel's damn smirk. So, feeling like an idiot, he leaned forward and bit down on the spoon. A rush of coffee hit his tongue and lingered long after it melted, leaving behind crunchy toffee pieces for his teeth to grind up into sugary dust. Axel pulled the spoon from Roxas's mouth and set back to eating his frozen treat, using the same spoon the teen had just soiled. Roxas was far from a germaphobe but he had the strongest urge to grab the man's spoon and throw it as far away as humanly possible.

His eyes caught Axel's lips moving but since there was still no sound in his ears, he tilted his head to the side and muttered, "eh?". Axel snorted, almost chocking on his bite of ice cream. "I asked what you were up to tonight," the red head repeated. Roxas gave it some thought, spooning blue dairy into his mouth. "Come on, it'll be a quiet night at my place. Terra, Seifer and Riku are out clubbing with Marluxia and Lexaeus is went out of town for the night. My place will be empty, save for Zexion and Demyx. Plus Demyx can't do anything stupid."

"I suppose being injured would dampen his spirits a bit," Roxas mused.

"Nah, Zexion will just lecture his ears off and Demyx can't stand getting scolded," Axel replied with a chuckle. He shoveled the last of his ice cream into his mouth and leaned back in his chair. "So? How about it?"

Roxas shrugged. "Sure, I guess. Someone will have to drive me home," he reminded.

"Sure thing. I mean you can always crash at our place too but I don't think you'll want to be around when the party parade gets home. They're a bit noisy." Axel waited as Roxas finished what he could of his ice cream, the blonde's appetite still not back to where it used to be. He ended up taking one of his meds to settle his stomach when the ice cream didn't sit as well as he hoped.

The ride over to the townhouse was quiet. Axel let Roxas doze against the window, the sky overhead filling up with stars behind the volumes of light pollution being poured skyward. When they arrived, he gave the blonde a nudge, Roxas waking with a start. The teen rubbed his face before exiting the car, trailing behind Axel as he sluggishly trudged towards the door. He didn't remember life being so tiring before. But then he realized he hadn't eaten supper yet, something he was supposed to be doing on a regular basis, and cursed in his head. He didn't want to impose on Axel's food but he needed more in his system than sugar and heavy cream.

As Axel peered at his key ring in the dark, in search of the elusive front door key, the pair picked up on elevated voices from inside the townhouse.

"What are you doing?" Zexion demanded. "You can't put it back in."

"Sure I can," Demyx protested.

"No, you can't. You touched it so you have to remove it." Axel found the key but pretended to keep searching as to not intrude on the argument.

"Ah, come on. Loosen up a bit, Zexy." There was a pause. "Uh oh," Demyx muttered.

"What?" Zexion pressed.

"Um, I think it's stuck."

"What?!"

"Yeah, it's stuck," Demyx confirmed. "The wood is lodged firmly in place, my friend."

"That's what you get for not removing it when you had the chance," Zexion argued. Axel could picture the silverette flicking his hair like he typically did when he proved a point. "Why don't you try pushing it the other way and pulling it out from the other end."

Roxas was lost in trying to keep up with the conversation, mostly because he couldn't visualize a situation in his head that would fit, but thankfully Axel decided to break into the conversation by opening the door. The pair stepped inside and Roxas peered around the corner towards the dim light in the kitchen. The pair of juniors was locked in a heated game of Jenga, Demyx placing his freshly removed wooden brick on top of the tower.

"Hey! You guys are just in time. We're playing for pizza," Demyx called out as he leaned back to let Zexion make a move.

"Loser is buying," Zexion added. Once Axel pried off his shoes, he sauntered over and glided a piece out from the bottom, placing it on top of the tower like a butterfly.

"What?! No fair!" Demyx whined. "I was going to go for that piece next."

"Too slow," Axel taunted. "I like my pizza spicy, by the way." He glanced to his side as Roxas made his way over, the blonde watching them play with a bit of curiosity.

"Oh, so you think you're going to win," Demyx argued. He tried to cross his arms over his chest but winced as it pinched at his ribs, so he ended up dropping his hands in his lap.

"No, the point it just not to lose," Axel corrected. "Something which you haven't seemed to master yet, my young padawan."

"I don't always lose." The dirty blonde stuck out his tongue at the red head but the elder merely scoffed at his gesture.

"You've never won either," Axel countered.

Demyx opened his mouth to protest and shut it again, his features morphing into a pout. "Zexy!" he whined. "Axel's being mean again." Zexion smirked and turned to Roxas, motioning towards the tower.

"Want a go? You don't have to join in on the pizza bet but you're welcome to play," the silverette offered. Roxas shrugged and looked for an easy piece. He poked at a couple before finding one to nudge out. As he was about to place it on top, he received a text message. Demyx nearly jumped out of his seat as the alert shouted out in its full grunge band scream. His knees knocked into the table and sent the tower sprawling over the surface, leaving Roxas to hold his brick over an empty space. "Well, Demyx is buying," Zexion said with a smirk.

"What? No fair!" Demyx pouted. He pulled out his wallet and dropped a wad of bills on the table. "Roxas, you in for pizza?"

"Um…" the teen muttered.

"You're getting cheese with that sort of response," Axel warned.

"Pineapple is good," Roxas decided. Demyx nodded and called in their order. Roxas took the time to check his text and scowled when he saw it was from his mother. She had heard through the grapevine what had happened with his car and was nagging on him about the medical expenses, going on for several lines about why she had lectured him about eating breakfast before he left for school. Roxas closed out of the thread without replying.

Ten minutes later they were delivered a pair of hot pizzas. While everyone ate, Roxas found himself nibbling on his slice. Axel gave him a nudge, his expression wondering what was wrong. Roxas set down his slice and stared at the table.

"Something the matter?" Zexion pressed.

"I wanted to apologize again…for what happened," Roxas murmured, twisting his hands together in his laps.

"Hey, it's all good. They got me on some heavy duty pain meds so I barely feel a thing," Demyx reassured him. Axel gave him a flick to the side and the dirty blonde cringed, not hiding his pain as well as he could have. "Besides, we need to make sure you're getting enough to eat. So no leaving this table until you eat two slices, you hear?" Demyx scolded in his best grandmother impersonation. Roxas chuckled at the ridiculously bad accent and the energy at the table doubled as the trio of housemates exchanged looks.

"What?" Roxas asked, worried he did something weird.

"We all had bets on whether you knew how to smile," Demyx explained. "Ah, man, I'm so excited! Seifer owes us all fifty."

"Wait, you all made bets on me?" Roxas pressed, taking a bite of his pizza. Then he recalled Pence had a similar reaction back when they were still new roommates.

"We bet on everything," Demyx continued. "Just last week we had started a bet on how long it was going to take before Riku did his laundry." The dirty blonde offered himself to a third slice, Zexion and Axel sipping on their sodas with shrugs of agreement.

"How long has it been?" the teen asked.

"It's going on five weeks and he still hasn't run out of clothes. Granted he re-wears some items a couple times but he didn't move in with that many clothes. He only had one duffle bag. Either he's secretly re-wearing clothes, washing them on the sly, or he now has a massive hidden wardrobe somewhere," Zexion mused.

"I say it's the wardrobe," Axel predicted.

"He never goes out shopping and when he does he doesn't buy anything," Demyx countered. "He has to be washing on the sly."

"When, the middle of the night?" the red head argued.

A sly grin broke out on Demyx's face. "Want to bet?"

"Twenty says you're wrong," Axel agreed and the pair toasted their sodas to seal the deal.

XxXxX

The end of October was nearing which meant one thing was on everyone's mind: Halloween. The entire campus transformed into a scene straight from a gothic novel. Street lights gave off a dimmer glow, some even flickering, while fake cobwebs hung in corners and over doorways. Pumpkins sat along the sides of buildings, ghoulish faces yet to be carved upon them. Bats could be seen more numerous at night as well as a few stray black cats. Students were always excited for Halloween at KHU as the campus threw a huge party in the ballrooms of the admin building. Three entire floors of food, dancing and music.

But all of that would have to wait until mid-terms passed.

Roxas wasn't excited for the party and he was even less thrilled Marluxia was forcing him to go. Like Axel predicted, the pink haired man had picked up the repair bill. The very large repair bill. Roxas knew the number of zeros would take breath away but seeing the amount he was in debt to Marluxia felt like an I-beam was shoved through his stomach. But he loved his car and so he swallowed the bitter pill and agreed to do ask Marluxia asked to pay off the loan. Roxas knew he had to seriously start considering finding a job or he wouldn't even have money for a pencil come spring.

His main distraction from his dwindling funds was going out to see Axel on weekday evenings. He gave the excuse it was to help him prepare him for his math mid-term but somewhere deep inside of him he admitted he liked the company. Lexaeus would sometimes ask him questions to see how he was recovering while Demyx used Roxas as a way to procrastinate from his own work. Roxas found himself talking with Zexion quite a bit while he worked on homework, mostly because Axel would be busy with his own studies and Demyx would be avoiding his nearby. Even though the silverette was an English major, he was very academically strong in science as well. From time to time Zexion would start digressing on various projects he wanted to start as a teen and Roxas found himself listening in awe by how excited Zexion would get when speaking in lengths on certain topics.

The week before Halloween, Roxas drove out to the townhouses in his freshly released car after classes. He missed being able to drive, although he was glad Axel and Pence were nice enough to give him rides whenever he needed one. Roxas parked on the street and strode up to the building, not even bothering to knock anymore as people had come to expecting him to visit. Yet when he walked in, he found a couple of new faces turn towards him.

"Ooh! Who's the cutie?" one of the girls called out.

"He's a freshman," Riku warned. The girl frowned, turning her nose up at the blonde teen. The girl next to her lightly smacked her on the arm.

"Selphie, be nice," the second girl scolded. The first girl had long, light brown hair with a large upwards curl on the end so it bounced above her shoulders. Her sun dress was rather out of place in the chilly fall air yet her companion appeared more prepared, wearing a white sweater that hung low to her thighs, a thick pair of leggings and fluffy leg warmers around her lower calves. The warmer dressed girl had a boyish haircut dyed a vibrant shade of blue.

Roxas pulled off his shoes and wandered over towards the kitchen area, nodding to Riku as the other gave a wave between mixing his stir fry. He paused as he heard someone hurrying down the stairs, finding Terra jumping the last two before throwing his arms around the girl with blue hair.

"Hey, Terra," the girl greeted with a giggle, patting the man's cheek. She motioned towards Roxas. "Who's the cute blonde?" she asked.

"Hm?" Terra looked up to find Roxas standing awkwardly a few steps away. "Oh, that's Roxas. He's a friend of Axel." The brunette straightened himself upright. "Roxas, this is Aqua. She's my girlfriend," Terra introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Aqua greeted, offering a hand. Roxas returned the gesture, muttering a greeting. "Don't mind Selphie. She's a bit mopey today."

"Am not!" the other girl protested, slumping farther over the counter.

"Don't mind her," Aqua requested. "She gets bored easily." Not wanting to get caught up in girl drama, Roxas excused himself and headed for the stairs. He paused, checking his time on the phone, and cursed under his breath. He had come straight from class so he missed his snack. Making a detour towards the pantry, he picked through the boxes of Wheat Thins for one that hadn't been open for too long. Picking out garden vegetable, he meandered over to Riku.

"Hey, do you guys have dip or something?" he asked, holding up the box of Wheat Thins.

"Yeah, we have some hummus in there," Riku replied. Roxas went to rifle around in the packed fridge, nearly toppling over a tower of Greek yogurts in the process.

"Are we ever going to leave?" Selphie whined.

"Seifer's coming," Terra reassured her.

Roxas glanced to the side as Riku hovered over his shoulder in search for some oyster sauce. "So…" Roxas muttered.

"Terra and Aqua are childhood friends now dating. Aqua and Selphie are friends from high school. Terra introduced Selphie to Seifer and they're sort of together but sort of not," Riku explained in a hushed tone. He found his sauce and retrieved it over the blonde's head.

"So she's a girlfriend?" Roxas whispered.

Riku paused, pointing out the hummus buried on the top shelf. "Sort of. They are dating but I don't think there's anything going on between them. Seifer's not a real committed type of person." The silver haired man fell silent as the man in question walked into the room. Riku went back to his cooking while Roxas fished the hummus from the fridge, cursing as he almost knocked over the yogurts again.

Tucking his snack under elbow, he shut the fridge and headed towards the stairs. When he glanced at the couples, Terra was giving Aqua a kiss on the cheeks while Seifer and Selphie held their awkward silence. Roxas headed up the flights of stairs and headed for Axel's room. He found the space consumed by large prints of logo designs, including the desks and beds. It took awhile to find the red head sitting on a small hole of floor space with his legs curled up close to his chest. Marluxia sat cross legged on his chair, talking in a loud voice into his phone as he argued with someone over what sounded like a group project. Roxas looked back at Axel and wondered how the red head could even read with all of the distractions.

The red head glanced up from his book and flashed a smile, motioning for Roxas to stay put. He pushed himself to his feet and tip toed across the room using various planned out gaps in the posters to navigate himself towards the door. Axel pulled the door shut behind him with a sigh of relief as the noise level dropped.

"Howdy," Axel greeted.

"What's up with the posters?" Roxas asked.

"I actually don't know the story behind those." Axel scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "I got back from class and the place was littered with the damn things. You feel ready for your exam on Thursday?"

"Not really but it's not like I have a choice," Roxas replied.

Axel chuckled. "I know how you feel. Why don't we move downstairs? Marluxia's been on the phone for three hours already." He made a gun with his fingers and pulled the "trigger" with the barrel pointed at his head. Roxas snickered and agreed to meet Axel downstairs, heading back towards the main floor as Axel stepped back into his room to gather his homework.

Roxas set up his study station in the living room coffee table, the air full of delicious smells of Riku's stir fry. He dug into his Wheat Thins and hummus while waiting for Axel to show up. His eyes scanned over his math work and, much to his surprise, most of it made sense. It was the first time he started feeling confident for a math exam since started college. His eyes looked up as a hand snaked down and swiped a handful of Wheat Thins from the box. Axel shot him a smirk before settling down on the couch.

Riku finished up his cooking and looked over at the pair as he started vacating the kitchen. "You guys want anything?" he offered.

"I'm good," Axel replied, not looking up from his book.

"Soda would be good," Roxas replied. Riku smirked and grabbed a can of orange from the fridge, delivering it to the blonde. "Thanks. That stir fry smells fucking awesome, by the way."

"My friend Sora taught me how to make it. He loves experimenting in the kitchen," Riku explained. "You might see him for Halloween, actually. I invited him to come with our group over to the campus party. He's a bit over the top at first but he's a lovable goof." Roxas snapped open his soda and took a sip, watching Riku take his leave before turning back to his studies.

The pair studied all afternoon, the quiet only interrupted when Roxas asked Axel a question or whenever one of the house's residents went to or came from class. By five, Roxas finished reading over his materials and took a break to stretch. His stomach started to clench as supper approached, his snack no longer tiding his hunger.

"Hey, you want to get some food?" Roxas asked, looking over his shoulder. He smirked and rolled his eyes at the sight of Axel asleep on the couch. The man's notes lay sprawled over his stomach while his head sat propped up on the armrest, his face pressed into the side of the couch. Roxas gave the man's side a poke. "Hey," he called out. The red head didn't stir. Concluding Axel wasn't going to wake up any time soon, he switched tasks and started getting his reading done for his Lit class. They were reading Walden, a rather dry novel, but Roxas did his best to absorb as much information as he could before the lecture on it. Professor Xehanort always made the books sound far more interesting than they were to read but he was one of those rare people who could pick out the student who didn't read the text before coming to class, sending them icy stares throughout the lecture.

Half an hour later Roxas frowned as his stomach growled out loud. He looked up from his book, secretly wishing Riku had saved some of his stir fry from earlier because he was ready to eat a bus. A small bus at least. His appetite still wasn't what it used to be before he let it shrink to the size of a raisin. His stomach gurgled again and he pressed a hand over his abdomen in hopes it would keep the organ quiet.

He heard Axel wake with a start, the man sitting up in such a hurry it sent his notes sprawling over the blonde leaning against the couch. Roxas swatted some of the pages away and sent the red head a glare. "Geez, you didn't have to dump your shit on me," he complained. "Did you at least get some beauty sleep?" There was a long pause. Roxas turned towards Axel when the red head excused himself, hurrying upstairs without even picking up his notes. The teen frowned at Axel's sudden strange behavior. Usually Axel was open with him when he was upset or irritated, but this time he was kept in the dark, left to muse the situation alone. His confusion worsened as he heard water running through the pipes above his head. "Is…is he taking a shower?" Roxas wondered.

His eyes shifted back to the stairs as he heard footsteps, expecting Axel to re-enter the room. Yet he found himself a bit disappointed when it was Riku returning his dishes to the kitchen. Deciding his book was no longer captivating his attention, Roxas marked his page and wandered over to the kitchen. He slid into one of the elevated chairs along the counter and folded his arms on the cool surface, watching as Riku started cleaning his dishes.

"So how did you get stuck here?" Roxas asked. Riku glanced over his shoulder, noting the blonde at the counter. "No offense but you don't fit in with the rest of the group here."

"That's because I don't," Riku admitted. "This past spring there was an opening listed as their old housemate, Vexen, graduated. I moved in this summer."

"Do you like it here?" Roxas wondered.

"It's chaotic most of the time but I don't mind. Lexaeus and I don't have much in common so we rarely talk. Axel and Zexion are really the only ones who regularly converse with me. Terra will on occasion but that's because we were in school together most of our lives. We never hung out, though. But I have some friends on campus, Sora and Kairi. They're a lot of fun to hang out with," Riku stated.

Roxas mulled over the names for a moment when one of them clicked in his head. "Kairi? Is she the girl at the ice cream place?"

Riku burst out laughing. "Yeah, she is. Sora and I go there all the time to keep her company during the slower hours, although I think Sora just likes going because Kairi can sneak him samples."

"You can't knock free food," Roxas admitted.

"No, you really can't." Riku set his plate in the drying rack and started scrubbing out his frying pan. "Other than those two, I don't know anyone on campus. I live fourteen hours away and no one, save Terra, Sora and Kairi, from my school came here. It's a small town to begin with so I wasn't expecting many of my high school friends to go out of their way like I did to get a higher education," Riku added.

"Damn, and I thought my drive was bad," the teen mused. "Granted I don't know anyone from my school here either but I'm sure there's a few since I grew up in the suburbs of a metropolitan area."

"Oh yeah? How big was your class?" Riku asked.

"Seven hundred."

Riku dropped his pan in the sink. "Holy shit," he gasped, earning a look of surprise from the blonde. "I didn't think classes could get that big. I graduated with thirteen."

"You can't be serious," Roxas shot back. "We could fit more kids at our lunchroom tables than that. How can a class be so small?"

"I'm guess you've never seen a small town school before," Riku assumed, glancing over his shoulder. Roxas shook his head. "Yeah, they're nothing special. Most big cities overshadow the smaller schools. I think we had around fifty students in high school, although every grade was in the same building so we had about two hundred kids total. Let me guess, you had about three thousand in your school?"

Roxas chuckled. "Close. We had about 2900 in our high school but there were two other high schools in Hollow Bastion so the total high school student body was closer to 7500." Riku let out a long whistle and started scrubbing his pan again.

"Do you guys have the top student give a speech at graduation?" Riku inquired. "I was third in my class but that doesn't sound very impressive in comparison."

Roxas looked down at his hands, unsure if he wanted to answer. He reminded himself Riku knew nothing about him and decided it was harmless. "I was one of six up for valedictorian," Roxas murmured. Riku paused in his scrubbing to look back at the teen.

"You say it like it was a bad thing," Riku noted.

"They didn't let me speak as they didn't want…well, to put it mildly they didn't like me," Roxas explained in a quiet voice. He curled and uncurled his fingers, trying to piece together his thoughts in a way the other would understand.

"That's terrible," Riku stated.

"It's the truth. By the time I graduated, no one wanted me there." A sad smile flickered on Roxas's lips. "It's funny how my school couldn't wait to get rid of me while KHU kept trying to get me to come with how impressive my grades were. No other college went through the lengths KHU did."

Riku tossed his sponge in the sink and slid into the seat next to Roxas. "You know something? I think this university was made for people like us," he commented. The teen asked what he meant so Riku continued. "There are a lot of normal people here but the more I ask around, the more I find sad and terrible stories of students with horrific pasts. Axel mentioned he was in an accident back in high school and Zexion was pretty much a loner. His entire school pretended like he didn't exist." Riku chuckled, his head tilting back to stare at the ceiling. "Hell, my own brothers are in jail for gang activity and drug dealing. I used to feel sorry for myself that my family had to go through such an ordeal but the longer I'm here the more I'm feeling empathy for others. And you know, so what if no one wants you around when you leave? You're only one person out of billions and there are far more people out there who would want to get to know you than there are those trying to squash you down," Riku reasoned.

A soft smile faded onto Roxas's lips. "You're right. I have met people who want to be my friends regardless of my past," he realized. Riku smiled and patted the blonde on the shoulder. Then he slipped from his seat and returned to his dishes. Roxas checked the time on his phone and turned his gaze to the ceiling above his head. ' _Axel's still in the shower,'_ he noted. His stomach clenched again, conversation no longer distracting him. ' _Ugh, but I'm so hungry!'_ He decided to wait ten more minutes before finding something to eat himself.

Roxas settled back into his spot by the coffee table and picked up his book, the dry text a brief reprieve from the thought of food. He didn't hear when the water was turned off but he was pulled from his book when he saw movement by the stairs. Initially he brightened when he saw Axel heading back over but then it deflated when he saw how dejected the red head looked, his crimson locks still dripping with moisture.

"Hey, you okay?" Roxas asked. Axel looked up, startled to find Roxas still sitting in his living room. The red head gave a nonchalant reply but Roxas didn't buy it. "Do you mind breaking for food? I'm starving."

"Yeah, sure," Axel replied, still distracted as he tidied up his strewn notes.

"Did you even hear what I said?" Roxas wondered.

"Uh, food right?" Axel replied. Then his mind started to function normally again. "Oh! Yeah, sorry. We can get some food. What are you in the mood for?"

"Well, Riku's stir fry has got Chinese on my brain," Roxas admitted, earning a chuckle from the silver haired man across the room.

"Sure! I'll order some take out. Oops!" Axel tried to catch his papers as they slipped from his grasp, tumbling over Roxas's head again. The blonde frowned and his eyes shot to his forehead where a drop of water landed from the read head's dripping locks. Without a word, Roxas moved out of the way so Axel could clean up but as he moved he felt another drop of water slip down the back of his shirt along his spine. The freezing temperature tensed his back muscles for a second before the water soaked into his shirt. He looked over at Axel, who was still scrabbling to clean up his notes and arrange them. Roxas knew Axel was doing a terrible job at hiding something but he found he didn't have the motivation to pry.

But it didn't stop him from wondering.


	5. 5-A Cat-a-Strophic Halloween

**A/N-Thank you for all the favs and follows! ^^ It means a lot. Here's another long chapter. Read and enjoy! :)**

Pence jumped as Roxas's phone started vibrating across the desk like it was possessed by Psycho Mantis. He put a hand over his racing heart and let out a long exhale to relax his jarred nerves. His eyes glanced up to the top bunk where Roxas lied buried under his sheet. Pence crept over to the blonde's desk and peered at the caller's name. The name Axel flashed on the screen and Pence vaguely recalled the name brought up before in a conversation. Pence watched the phone fall silent. With a shrug he headed back to his seat to continue with typing his paper. Before he took three steps, the phone started up its violent dance again, sounding more like a chainsaw as it bumped into a pen and began to rattle.

Pence whirled around as Roxas groaned and felt around for his phone on his bed. The brunette decided it was worth taking the risk and he snatched the phone off the desk. Then he ducked out of the room before receiving the call.

"About time!" the person on the other end shouted. "Where the Hell are you?"

"Uh, this is Roxas's roommate," Pence clarified. There was a pause.

"Did something happen to Roxas?" the person labeled as Axel demanded.

"No. Just his usual morning coma," Pence replied, glancing back through the crack in the dorm door to see Roxas settling back down under his pile of sheets and fluffy comforters.

"Coma?"

"He's still asleep." Pence heard the man release an exasperated chuckle.

"And here I was getting worried and he's off dreaming of gumdrops," Axel muttered. "I don't supposed you'd want to wake him up…Pence, was it?"

"Yeah, that's me," Pence replied. "And no, I am not waking him up. I value my life."

"He can't be that bad," Axel argued. "Besides, he was supposed to show up here two hours ago. Could you do a favor for little 'ole me?"

"Nope. That's one adventure you get to experience for yourself. I did it once and was nearly murdered by his death glare. Hayner was the unlucky one and almost experienced death by pillow," Pence stated. "So if you want to wake the scary mad teen from his realm of dreams, you're more than welcome to. Until I find a long enough stick to poke him with, I'll be staying far away."

Axel sighed on the other end of the line. "Alright, fine. Could you let me in? I can send a text to Roxas's phone when I get there."

"No need. I can see the front of the building from my window so I'll keep an eye out," the teen said. Axel muttered a farewell and disconnected the call. Pence slipped back into his room and replaced Roxas's phone to his desk. He peered up at Roxas, finding the blonde deep in sleep again, before returning to his desk.

Every two minutes, he would glance out the window to see if the mysterious caller arrived. It didn't take too long before he saw a tall red head trudge up to the building, backpack slung over his shoulder and face buried in his coat to block out the biting wind. Pence grabbed his keys and headed downstairs. The man muttered a thanks as Pence held the door for him.

"You're Axel?" Pence questioned.

"That's me," the red head confirmed. "Sorry to bother you so early on a Saturday."

"It's cool." Pence led Axel back to their dorm room. While Axel looked over the room curiously, Pence grabbed his shampoo and threw a towel over his shoulder. Axel arched an eyebrow at him and Pence chuckled. "I meant it when I said I value my life. Have fun!" Pence said with an almost malicious grin and a wave. Then he vacated the room to escape the blonde's morning wrath, leaving Axel alone with the sleeping teen.

Axel stepped over to the bunked beds and peered up at the living corpse buried under a mountain of sheets. He gave Roxas's hand a hesitant poke, receiving no reaction. "Hey, Roxas. Time to wake up," he called out. He tapped the teen's shoulder through his comforter in attempts to coax the blonde awake. "Come on, Rox, you promised me a study date, especially since you squeaked by with your grade on your midterm." With a groan, Roxas started moving and rolled onto his side so he was facing Axel. Then he pulled his covers up to his chin and promptly started to go back to sleep. "Ah, no. You don't get to do that." Axel tugged at the comforter only to have the teen grip it even tighter.

Axel let out a huff of annoyance. He then noticed how peaceful Roxas looked when he was sleeping, as if all his pent up emotional baggage lifted away from him while he dreamt. Axel fiddled with a loose hair hanging in front of the teen's face, the need to wake him fading faster than his morning coffee. But he knew how much Roxas needed to study so he begrudgingly began tapping the teen on the forehead.

"Rise and shine," he called out. Roxas pinched his eyes shut before cracking them open with a half-asleep glare. Axel smiled. "Morning, beautiful." Roxas muttered something incoherent and closed his eyes again. Axel rolled his eyes and ruffled the teen's fluffy locks. "Wakey wakey," Axel coaxed. Roxas groaned and snuggled deeper into his pillow, his head pressing closer into Axel's hand. "Awh, you're like a kitten."

' _Wait…kitten?'_

Roxas's eyes flew up and he rocketed upright, smashing his forehead into the ceiling with a loud thwack. "Fuck!" he barked, rubbing the sore spot before turning his murderous glare on the red head. "What the Hell are you doing in my room?!" he demanded. Axel burst out laughing, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. "What's so damn funny?" Roxas growled.

"He wasn't kidding when he said you're scary in the morning," Axel hiccupped. "Shit, I nearly crapped my pants there."

"Then why are you laughing?" Roxas growled, digging his nails into his comforter.

"Because you really are like a cat." Axel wiped the moisture from his eyes and took a deep breath to steady his breathing. "You even snuggled my hand and everything." Roxas's cheeks flushed deep red, although he wasn't sure if it was out of embarrassment or out of loathing. "Aw, come on, Rox. You know I'm just teasing," Axel coaxed when Roxas didn't make a rude comeback. Roxas huffed through his nostrils and turned away from the red head, rubbing the sore spot on his forehead. "Now you're sulking."

"I'm not sulking!" Roxas shot back, not turning around.

"Sure you're not. You're also not late for your study date you promised me. Need I remind you that you set it up and insisted on spending extra time on your mathematics?" Axel taunted. Roxas froze. He leapt out of bed, ignoring the raised eyebrow from Axel, and checked the time on his phone. 12:15. Roxas swore under his breath and slapped his palm onto his forehead, instantly regretting it as a wave of pain bashed his skull again. He became woozy and plopped into his chair to keep from falling over. "Hey, you okay?" Axel asked, peering closer at the blonde.

"I'm fine," Roxas grumbled. He set his phone back onto his desk, clearing the long expired alarm notification he slept through four hours prior.

Axel smirked and leaned up against Roxas's desk, crossing his arms over his chest. "If I learned anything, it's fine is not fine. I'm pretty sure it stands for…"

"Freaked out, insecure, neurotic and emotional. You're not the only one who's seen _The Italian Job_ dick-shit." Roxas leaned against his desk as well and closed his eyes, hoping the bits of nausea floating around in his stream would leave him alone. Axel took a moment to study the blonde in his sleeping attire. A long-faded Slipknot tank top hung loose over his chest while a pair of black and white checkered boxers didn't do much to hide the fact the teen's legs were quite pale. "Are you done here?" Roxas asked, noting Axel's staring.

"If that's the thanks I get for waking you up, then I'm almost tempted to leave," Axel stated. "But…" Axel's smirk shifted into a warmer smile, his mischievous features softening. "You looked like you really needed some extra sleep. Trying to retain information on a bogged down brain won't do you any good. In fact, a hungry brain won't get you too far either. How about some lunch?" Axel suggested.

"How about you get out of my room?" Roxas replied sourly with a scowl.

Axel leaned into close to Roxas's face and grinned. "Not a chance." The teen's scowl deepened and he pushed Axel's face away, rising from his chair to meander over to his closet. "I'll order some lunch and then we can head to the library," Axel suggested. Roxas muttered a half-hearted reply while he fished around for some clean clothes, making a mental note to do laundry sometime soon. Axel turned to look out the window as he ordered Chinese for himself, Roxas and Pence, as the brunette was kind enough to let him inside. Once the order was placed, Axel turned to alert Roxas on a delivery time and froze. His stomach dropped into his feet and through the floor below him.

A scar shaped almost like a spider web covered most of the blonde's upper back, the tissue a darker shade than the pale flesh around it. Roxas pulled over his dark red, long sleeved shirt a moment later and the scar was gone. Axel blinked but found he couldn't get the image out of his mind. He instantly wanted to start pressing questions but he knew better. Roxas would shut him out and, most likely, kick him out of the dorm. He knew Roxas would tell him in his own time, if he was told at all, and reminded himself to be patient.

The food arrived around the same time Pence returned from the shower. He was ecstatic Axel had bought him lunch and promised to return the favor someday, the pair agreeing on ice cream in the future. Roxas ate in silence while Axel and Pence made small talk about what classes they were taking and what they planned on doing with their majors. Axel noted Roxas barely ate half of his take-out box but didn't comment, knowing it would upset the blonde.

Once they were done, Roxas gathered his materials in his backpack and he followed Axel to the library, leaving Pence alone in the dorm to study. Roxas shuffled along with his hands in his pockets and his face tucked into his scarf, frowning as it smelt of stale marijuana. He reminded himself to wash it when he did laundry next.

"How's your head?" Axel asked, wisps of cool air rising from his lips as he spoke.

"Fi-…it's okay," Roxas muttered, avoiding the elder man's gaze.

Axel peered closer to the teen's face and clicked his tongue. "I think it might bruise. Don't tell me you're one of those banana people."

"Banana people?" Roxas looked up at the red head with a furrowed brow.

"You know, those people who get bumped with more than a pound of force and they get a bruise," Axel explained.

Roxas lowered his nose back into his scarf, his nostrils scrunching up at the bad smell returned to them. "No, I'm pretty durable," he corrected. He found his feet shuffling to a halt and Axel wheeled around to see why his friend suddenly stopped. "Hey, do you think we could go to your place instead?" Roxas asked, his voice so quiet Axel almost didn't make it out through the scarf.

"Um, sure. We'll have to study in the basement though. It'll be the quietest place with everyone else running around upstairs," Axel cautioned.

"That's fine." Axel pursed his lips at the dejected blonde but didn't comment further. He altered his course towards the parking ramp where his car sat huddled in the cold. It wasn't far from where they currently located, although Axel wasn't too excited about having to sit in a cold car again. As he fished out his keys from his pocket, he watched out of the corner of his eye as Roxas pressed his forehead against the cool metal of the passenger door against his forehead. Axel frowned and walked around the car before he leaned against the teen, his chin propping on top of the misshapen golden locks. "Hey," Axel called out.

"What?" Roxas grumbled.

"Are you getting enough to eat?" Axel pressed. He felt Roxas shift underneath him.

"Yeah."

"Are you putting on any weight?" Axel asked, noting the teen's frame still felt rather small.

There was a long pause before Roxas's shoulder's sagged. "Not really…" he murmured. "They wanted me to gain ten pounds but I maybe have put on four since I left the hospital." Roxas's cheeks flushed as Axel's arms snaked around his waist and gave him a gentle squeeze.

"You really should get a few more pounds or you'll start wasting away," Axel stated.

"I'm never hungry. I mean, I am sometimes but there are times I just can't stomach anything during the day. It's almost like my body wants to eat itself alive," Roxas said sarcastically. Axel hummed and tipped Roxas's head to the side, his teeth gnawing on the tender flesh of the teen's neck like a vampire. Roxas felt goosebumps roll down his body with a small shiver, his face feeling like a million degrees as he failed to suppress a faint gasp. Axel chuckled and released him, strolling around to the other side of the car.

"You've got to eat more, doctor's orders!" Axel called, opening the locks. It took a moment for Roxas's brain to register the car was open and he hurried into his seat.

The entire ride over to Axel's apartment he felt shaky, like he was about to have an anxiety attack. It also didn't help the flush on his face refused to leave, making it feel like he was feverish. ' _What's wrong with me? Shit, maybe I hit my head harder than I thought,'_ Roxas mused. He dismissed the thought and turned his gaze out the window. ' _No, it's not that.'_ He glanced over at Axel and felt his insides twist. ' _Why is it every time he does something weird I feel like this?'_ His brain thought of one possibility but that thought alone made his stomach twist even tighter.

XxXxX

The day of Halloween came and the campus was even more festive than usual. Professors and students dressed up in creative, and some not so creative, costumes to get into the spirit while others waited to put on their costume for the big Halloween party. As it was a Friday, many of the students were using the campus party as their first stop in what would be a long line of parties, drinking and dancing pressed against sweaty bodies. For once, Roxas was not looking forward to Halloween. Normally he used it as an excuse to sneak out of the house and go to parties to drink without an ID, but that sounded more like work than fun. He also had the noose of Marluxia's good will around his neck, preventing him from even thinking of skipping out on the campus party.

Once classes were done for the day, Roxas went back to his dorm to get changed. He had received a text from Marluxia to wear black and white when he came over to the townhouse. Roxas knew the pink haired man was scheming up a devious plan that would most likely cause him a full night of embarrassment but then the zeros started nagging his mind. The teen shivered at the thought of paying off the bill by himself. He was glad his parents insurance managed to cover his costs for the hospital visit and dietitian appointments.

As Roxas pulled a black tank over his head, he glanced over at the door as it opened. Pence slipped into the room with a grin and an armful of variety packs of candy he had picked up from the store. "Check it out! I think I've got enough candy here to last me until Christmas," Pence joked.

"Don't eat yourself into a coma," Roxas warned, both the males bursting into chuckles.

"Nah. Say, are you going to the party?" Pence asked as he dumped his haul onto his bunk to sort at a later time.

"Yeah, although for the record I'm being forced to go," Roxas clarified.

"Gotcha. I'm going with Hayner and Olette in a bit. Olette really wanted us to dress up but I'm sort of over that. I figured I'll just wear my jersey and go as a basketball player."

Roxas paused as he clasped one of his wrist bands onto his arm. He turned to his roommate, a horrific thought popping into his head. "Wait, are costumes mandatory to get in?"

"Naturally but you don't have to be too fancy. I'm sure you could pull off a break dancer look and get in just fine," Pence reassured him. Roxas turned back to his closet, the sense of dread growing in his stomach for what Marluxia had in store for him. He ended up wearing his usual white cargo pants and black runners with the red laces. He even put on his favorite dog collar, despite knowing Axel would make a sly comment on it. For once, he didn't care and reminded himself that even if he was embarrassed he should still have fun. Or at the very least try to.

He said his farewells to his roommate and headed over to the townhouse where he would be joining up with a larger group for a Halloween pre-party. What surprised him was the amount of vehicles parked on the street when he arrived. Locking his car, he headed up to the townhouse, jumping over various yard decorations the elder males had placed to "be in the spirit". The door was opened for him by Riku clad in a full bikers outfit: leather jacket, leather pants, goggles around his neck, heavy steel toed boots. It looked just a tad big on him and Roxas wondered if it was once owned by one of the sophmore's incarcerated brothers. He didn't have time to wonder long as he was ushered inside to mingle with the other guests.

The first person he was introduced to was Riku's friend, Sora, who was mingling with Kairi just inside the living room. The brunette gave a warm welcome and was soon asking to trade numbers with the blonde to stay in touch. Roxas even got Kairi's number and a promise of free samples whenever he visited the ice cream shop. Both Sora and Kairi were freshmen. Kairi was double majoring in fashion and business while Sora was on a scholarship for the national guard. He was going for University Studies since he felt there was really no point to his degree as he planned on sticking with the national guard for quite some time. Roxas couldn't picture Sora undergoing such harsh training but Riku assured him Sora was a lot tougher than he looked. Even though Sora was wearing a costume, all Roxas could picture him wearing the rest of the night was beige and tan camo.

As for what the pair of friends was wearing, Sora wore a vampire-like outfit with a pumpkin headpiece, the orange vegetable grinning at the blonde with an evil smirk. Kairi was dressed like one of the Sailor scouts, Sailor Venus if Roxas remembered correctly. She even had a stuffed white cat with vibrant blue eyes tucked into her bag.

Roxas was torn away from the trio by a sly faced blonde who's hair reminded him of some sort of aphid. He was dragged along over to Marluxia, who was almost unrecognizable. Roxas had to stifle his laughter so the pink haired man wouldn't get offended. He was dressed as Princess Peach, pink dress and umbrella included. He introduced the mysterious woman as Larxene, a friend of his and Axel's from high school. She had finished her degree the year prior and was working as a bartender back in Hollow Bastion. Roxas could tell she was a person who liked modern day fashion as, even though she was dressed like little red riding hood, her dress was a few inches too short and her chest poked out from the top just a bit too much. Roxas almost wanted to rip her little red shoulder cape and cover her up but refrained himself so he could feign an interest in the conversation.

His chat was cut short again as he was pulled aside by Aqua, who was dressed like a magical girl, and Selphie, who was imitating some actress Roxas didn't care about. He was then pulled into the social circle with Terra, Seifer and Lexaeus. Terra gave Aqua a kiss on the check as she strode up to him. The brunette was dressed like a sexy construction worker, which meant besides from his pants hard hat and suspenders he was bare. Roxas had to admit being an athlete was a definite perk as the man's tone chest and arms were presented for all the world to see. Not that Roxas stared at all. Lexaeus had cheated and wore his lab coat while Seifer dressed as Ike from Brawl.

Before he had time to get a drink shoved into his hand by Terra, he was whirled off again to mingle with the rest of the party. Demyx dragged the teen into the kitchen where a pair of older gentlemen were waiting. They introduced themselves formally as Vexen, the previous roommate who graduated, and Luxord, Vexen's older brother who worked on campus as a professor. Roxas recalled seeing him walking around the Philosophy and Psychology building a couple of time but he never knew who he was. Luxord was dressed as an old fashioned blackjack dealer while Vexen wore a lab coat similar to Lexaeus's. Both of the elder gentlemen wished Roxas well with his studies before Zexion pulled Roxas away towards the stairs.

"You're getting eaten alive out there," Zexion noted. He wore a fancy suit with a top hat and gloves. All he needed was a mask and he could be a matching pair with Kairi.

"You've got quite the party going on," Roxas replied over the noise.

"Speaking of which…" Zexion shook his head as Demyx made his way over with a pair of drinks in his hands.

"Hey Rox! Sorry I dragged you away but Vexen really wanted to meet you. Looks like Zexy had a similar idea," Demyx noticed. Roxas had to take a moment to take in what the dirty blonde was wearing. He wore heavy combat boots with ripped jeans, a baggy tank top and several piercings in each ear, including a chain from his nose to his left ear. He had several heavy chains hanging along his right hip including one that dove into his pocket where his wallet sat. Demyx noticed Roxas's staring and chuckled, scratching the back of his head after he had handed over the second drink to Zexion. "Um, yeah I was a bit of a rebel in high school."

"You wore that to school? I'm surprised they didn't kick you out," Roxas commented.

Demyx chuckled. "Oh, they tried. I was in a garage band for awhile. Played a few small gigs. We weren't really anything special. But after meeting Zexion I tried to clean up my image a bit. A lot of his classmates were really suspicious of me."

"They thought he was a drug dealer," Zexion chipped in, rolling his eyes. "As if Demyx could ever break the law. He drives under the speed limit on the highway."

"Only when there are other people in the car!" Demyx protested.

"Anyway. We're going to be here mingling for awhile so if you want to slip upstairs you're welcome to. Axel's finishing off some homework before we go so you're welcome to sit with him where it'll be quieter," Zexion offered.

Roxas perked up at the thought of getting out of the spotlight. "I think I'll do that. No offense to you guys or anything." Both Demyx and Zexion waved it off and Roxas headed upstairs to find his red headed friend.

By the time he reached the next floor, the volume had cut in half. Roxas breathed in the sweet sounds of quiet as he took the second set of stairs at a slower pace. He strode down the hall and poked his head into Axel's room. He spotted the red head working at his computer on what looked like a paper. Roxas crept over and sat along the drawers on the side of the desk while Axel continued to work uninterrupted. The red head's eyes remained glued to the screen like he was trying to achieve a high score on a video game. Although when Roxas thought about it, he really was trying to get a high score. The results would simply come after the process.

Watching Axel work gave Roxas time to think. For some reason he remembered Axel's weird vampire gesture from the other day and he began to wonder if the trick worked in reverse. A smirk played with his lips as various devious plans brewed inside of his mind. There was only one way to find out. Roxas stood and leaned against Axel's hunched over form, resting his head on the man's spikey locks. A stray hair tickled his nose and Roxas gently blew it away. He felt Axel pause for a brief moment in his typing before his fingers resumed their usual rhythm. His eyes trickled down the screen, finding it a literature paper for a class Roxas was unfamiliar with. It must have been a class about more classical texts as he was deciphering the various aspects of some of Shakespeare's lesser known works.

Roxas grew bored of watching Axel and snuggled his head into the man's next of hair. The man's shoulder's tensed at the movement but began to relax as the blonde settled. ' _I can't tell if he's jittery around me or he just doesn't like the fact I'm touching him,'_ Roxas mused as he closed his eyes. Hearing the faint tendrils of music flickering against his ear drums, Roxas snaked his fingers out from behind Axel's neck and pilfered one of his ear buds. Not to his surprise, it was a Japanese pop song.

"You really like foreign music," Roxas muttered. "Don't you ever get tired of not understanding what they're saying?"

"That's sort of why I listen to it. A lot of songs in English now-a-days are just trashy," Axel replied without missing a beat in his typing. "If I don't know what they're saying, all I have is the beat and melody to keep me motivated." Roxas smirked and let Axel continue to work.

At some point his legs started to get sore from standing in such a strange position and Roxas peeled his face from his fiery nest. He looked around for Axel's MP3, spotting it on the desk, and snatched it up. His thumb scrolled through the various songs on the current playlist, aptly named 'J-Pop Stuff', and found a familiar artist. He shifted the screen to show other songs by the artist and found an uneasy concoction of emotions welling up inside of him. The current song playing was ' _Hikari'_ but the song he was interested in was the one labeled ' _Sanctuary'_. Underneath the nostalgic song was one written in foreign symbols, yet tapping on it revealed it was the Japanese version, ' _Passion'_. Roxas smirked and let the song play out. It wasn't long before Axel started humming along, a habit that irritated Marluxia to no end.

The teen chuckled at the memory of Marluxia nagging Axel during one of his study sessions. Axel paused in his typing and peered up at the blonde. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"You," Roxas replied. Axel smiled and leaned back in his seat, folding his arms over his chest. Roxas glanced over the red fringe and had the strongest urge to shift his arms so his hands rested on top of Axel's. He quickly dismissed the thought, reminding himself that sort of thinking wasn't allowed. To distract himself, he started to sing along to the song playing in his ear.

Axel was surprised when he heard Roxas's voice murmur the lyrics to the song in nearly flawless Japanese. ' _What the Hell? He knows this song by heart?'_ He listened to Roxas sing, finding his voice beautiful yet filled with a bit of sadness. He was about to ask how the teen memorized such a complex piece when the door to the room swung open with a small bang. Both males jumped as the sound, the ear bud ripping from Roxas's ear.

"There you are!" Marluxia exclaimed. "I thought you would have high tailed it out of here but I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed your car was still here. Distracting Axel?" Marluxia asked of the blonde as he strode across the room, holding up his skirt as he moved.

"No, just keeping me company," Axel commented. He saved his paper and shut the lid to his laptop. Checking the time, he noted he didn't have much left before the group was scheduled to head over to the campus party.

"Well, I need to borrow Roxas for a moment if you don't mind," Marluxia requested. Axel shrugged and stood, moving to his closet to gather his costume pieces. Roxas frowned at the pink haired man grinning at him and braced himself. "I have a gift for you."

"I'm not wearing a costume," Roxas argued.

Marluxia burst out laughing. "Sorry, love, but it's required to get in. And unlike the other lazy people going, you require something a bit more proper."

"If you're asking me to wear something besides my own clothes you can go burn in Hell," Roxas growled. Marluxia waved off the threat like it was just a waft of a bad smell.

"Nope. You're clothes are all that are required. Now, close your eyes." With much reluctance, Roxas obeyed. He shut his eyes and he heart Marluxia walk over to him. The man fiddled with his dog collar for a second, a soft tinkling floating into his ears, before something pressed down over the top of his head. There was a pause before Marluxia clapped his hands together. "Alright, you can open them." Roxas cracked open his eyes to see Marluxia holding a mirror up in front of him. Upon his head was a black headband with cat ears on them. His fingers reached up to the small, silver bell tied to his dog collar with a frown.

"You made me a cat," Roxas noted.

"An adorable cat at that," Marluxia commented. "What do you think Axel?"

The red head poked his head out of the closet, his shirt hanging around his elbows as he changed behind the door. "Looks good," Axel noted. He smirked at Roxas and pretended to scratch with his fingers. "Meow, kitty." Roxas hissed in response, baring what pathetic excuses he had for fangs. Marluxia sighed and smacked Roxas over the back of the head with a tap of his umbrella, silencing the blonde. He grabbed the teen by his elbow and began dragging him from the room.

"Get your costume on, already. We still have pictures to take," Marluxia called. Roxas immediately dug his heels into the carpet at the mention of pictures. It was a wasted effort as Marluxia was surprisingly strong and managed to drag him from the room without much extra effort. Roxas gave up trying to fight and allowed himself to be led like the cat he was supposed to be. On their way down, they caught Seifer heading up. The pair of blondes exchanged cold looks as they passed.

Upon returning to the ground floor, Roxas ended up mingling with the party crowd again. He mostly hung around Riku, Sora and Kairi while they told stories from high school. The trio lived on the coast so they spent a lot of time on the beach. Roxas was a bit curious about the beach as he had never been to one before. He was supposed to go with his family one year but he opted out to live in his room in silence for one week. Looking back, he wondered if he should have taken the vacation.

His thoughts were interrupted by footsteps on the stairs. Seifer came down first, mentioning Axel would be down shortly. Marluxia readied his camera while murmurs began to run through the group on what the red head would be dressing up as. Jingling footsteps drew their attention and Axel descended to the lower level. Roxas's heart flipped in his chest and he felt the air abandon his lungs. ' _Holy fuck…why did he have to dress like that…?'_ he gaped in his mind. Axel was dressed in steampunk grunge. His torn black shirt and pants were accented with charcoal colored leather and copper. His feet were clad in heavy gunmetal boots that ran up to his thighs while rings of copper accented the black laces. Over his right arm he wore a series of arm bands than held copper segments of folded metal in place, making his arm look robotic. A pair of copper wings hung on his back from more of the charcoal leather made into a harness. The dangling metal pins tinkled as he moved. Heavy black liner accented his eyes while his lips were a mixture of deep red and black blended together. Half of his hair hung in front of the left side of his face, which he had taken some time to straighten, while the rest was pulled back behind his head in a spikey pony tail. Several black and copper rings adorned his right hand while the left had a charcoal leather glove with the finger tips missing.

"Wicked!" Demyx cheered.

"Nice job Seifer. The metal work turned out great," Marluxia complimented, motioning towards the copper accessories.

"Damn straight!" Seifer shouted with a triumphant grin.

Marluxia snapped a picture of his roommate while Larxene gave an excited squeal when Axel caught her eye. She darted forward and embraced her old friend. Axel chuckled and greeted her with equal enthusiasm. For some reason it made Roxas's chest hurt. Or maybe it was the fact he had yet to breathe since Axel came downstairs. He forced himself to inhale and look away while Marluxia started gathering up groups for pictures.

Roxas sat down on the couch while everyone took various pictures together. Some were of scenes being acted out while others just held smiles or silly faces. Roxas tried to keep his gaze on the other occupants of the room but his eye would always list back to the red head. He bit down on the inside of his lip in attempts to distract himself but it failed miserably, causing his lip to bleed and his mouth to taste like the metal perched on Axel's shoulders.

He thought he was going to get out of pictures when Marluxia sauntered over and held up his camera. Roxas scowled, trying to scare the pink haired man away. It didn't work. "Come on, Roxas. Just one picture?" Marluxia taunted. "I promise I won't post it."

Roxas sighed. "Fine," he murmured when he realized he needed to indulge into Marluxia's request. He stood and Marluxia held his camera ready.

"You have to pose," the elder requested. Roxas opened his mouth to argue but realized it was pointless. Wishing he could vanish from the room, he held up his hands like paws. "You can't take a picture all frumpy like that." Roxas swore under his breath and tried to push the murderous thoughts form his head. He forced a fake smile on his lips and tilted his head to the side.

"Nyan," he said as Marluxia snapped the picture.

"See, that was harmless." Roxas wanted to explain he felt like he died on the inside but kept to himself. The group started breaking up for the drive over to the main drag of campus with half of the crew opting to pile into Seifer's truck. Riku, Sora and Kairi drove separately while Zexion insisted on driving so Demyx didn't get hurt, as his ribs were still tender in places. They ended up taking Luxord and Vexen with them, leaving the rest of the crew to cram into the back of the truck while Aqua and Selphie rode in the cab with the driver.

Roxas sat closest to the cab and felt a small burst of joy when Axel sat next to him. He also sat next to Larxene, causing the joy to fizzle faster than an ember in the ocean. Marluxia sat across from Roxas and gripped the side of the back tightly. Roxas noted the others were doing the same. Before he could get a hold, Seifer slammed his foot on the accelerator and they sped off to school. Roxas rolled into Axel, the red head catching him before he tumbled out the back.

"Careful!" Axel called over the wind. Roxas muttered his thanks before hanging onto the metal sides. He glanced over at Axel, finding the red head had his eyes shut as though he were lost in thought, his loose hair flying wildly around his face. His eyes shifted to the side of the truck where their hands were centimeters apart. Roxas checked to make sure Marluxia was distracted before he inched his hand closer to Axel's. Their fingers bumped and the teen held his breath, his entire face heating up.

Axel opened his eyes when he felt something bump against his hand to find Roxas staring at the truck bed with a blush sprinkled over his cheeks. He smirked and slid two fingers over two of Roxas's, giving the digits a reassuring squeeze. Axel felt a tap on his side and turned to find Larxene raising an eyebrow at him. Cupping his hand to her ear so Roxas wouldn't overhear, he shouted over the wind.

"He was in an accident recently. He's probably still a bit shaken," Axel explained. Larxene nodded but the mischievous sparkle didn't leave her eyes.

When the group arrived at the skyscraper, everyone unloaded so Seifer could go park his truck. Music was pounding through the windows and various colored lights streamed into the chilled night air. Once inside, everyone ended up splitting into smaller groups to venture to the various floors. Some went to food while others went straight to the dance. Roxas stuck with Axel as they made their way to the food and bumped into Hayner, Pence and Olette loading their plates with goodies.

"Hey! You made it!" Pence called over the bass. Roxas found the loud beat comforting but the pop music was borderline cringe-worthy at times. He had to agree with Axel that recent music was indeed trashy. "I see you managed to get a costume"

"Yeah, not my idea," Roxas replied, adjusting his headband.

"It could be worse," Hayner offered.

"Oh, stop it! You look great," Olette complimented. She was dressed in a magical girl costume of her own while Hayner sported an old army uniform.

"I have to say, you look kick ass," Pence commented to Axel.

The red head chuckled. "Thanks. I think I look good because there happens to be a cute cat standing here next to me," Axel teased, making Roxas scowl.

"He is rather cute," Olette agreed.

Hayner scratched his chin. "I don't know. Cute's not exactly the word I'd describe Roxas with," he mused. He received a shove from Olette, the dirty blonde clearly missing the joke.

"We'll be around here for awhile if you want to hang out at all," Pence offered. "I think we're going to go to the dance once the upper classmen start filing out in a couple hours but we may end up going earlier depending on how soon Hayner will crumble to Olette's pout."

Roxas chuckled. "Alright. See you around." The trio of friends gave their farewells and headed to find a table to munch on their snacks. Roxas led the way over to the buffet spread and picked up a plate, his stomach doing flips at the thought of eating. He realized he should have taken his medicine before coming but it was too late for him to go back and get it.

"You can go hang out with your friends, you know. You don't have to hang out with us the entire night," Axel offered as he grabbed a plate of his own.

"You're my friend too," Roxas reminded. Axel raised an eyebrow and Roxas bit his tongue, realizing how dumb he sounded with his quick reply. The red head chuckled and ruffled the teen's hair, the eared band getting askew.

"Come on, Rox. We're here to have fun," Axel stated.

"Right…" Roxas mused. He instead turned his focus on the food.

For the first part of the night Roxas found himself shadowing Axel between the various floors. He was introduced to more upperclassmen he already forgot the names of or spoke with various professors about classwork. They bumped into professor Xehanort, looking dapper in a top hat and monocle, and chatted about their most recent novel they were reading for class. The man was pleased with both of their progress through his course. He didn't hold them up for long so Axel made sure to swing by the buffet tables for another pass. Roxas wasn't sure if he could eat another bite but Axel made sure he took at least one item each time they stopped, making sure he ate it to the last crumb. This had all spawned from Roxas tossing a half-eaten cookie in the trash from their first round of sugary treats. Now he was forced to feel like a turkey the day before thanksgiving.

All while they milled about, Roxas had a hard time not staring at his friend. He knew it would only make it awkward if Axel caught him, not to mention much of the KHU student body was present as well as a plethora of cameras. Getting caught starry eyed was on the bottom of his list. It took all of his willpower to stare around the red head or pretend like he wasn't there.

Midnight grew closer and more of the upper classmen began to filter out to hit the party scene off of the main drag of campus. Axel had left to the dance floor with Larxene while Roxas nursed his sore stomach with a punch at one of the small tables lined along the walls. His stomach twisted tighter as a familiar pink presence sauntered over to him.

"Having fun, kitten?" Marluxia asked. Roxas hissed, earning another bump on the head from the man's frilly umbrella. "You should go have some fun. Why don't you go dance? Axel's out there having a blast." Roxas glanced over at the dance floor where the red head was grinning while dancing with Larxene. He forced himself to look away, the nausea working its way into his throat.

"I think I'll pass," Roxas murmured into his drink.

"Pass on dancing? Or on grinding?" Marluxia pressed.

"Both."

"Even if it was with Axel?" Roxas choked on his drink and sprayed punch across the table. He coughed to try and clear his lungs from the aspirated fluids. As he regained his breath, he glared daggers at the smirking pink haired man.

"Fuck off, Marluxia," Roxas spat.

The man clicked his tongue and pulled out his phone. Roxas's brows pressed together as the man tapped away at his screen. Then he felt raw horror coursing through his veins at what Marluxia showed him. The smirk on the elder's face broadened. "Don't try to hide from me, Roxas," he taunted.

"So you're blackmailing me," Roxas stated. Marluxia shrugged.

"I suppose. If you dance, I'll knock off two grand from your debt."

"Five," Roxas bargained.

"Four, three if I'm not impressed," Marluxia shot back. Roxas fumed, his free hand curling into a fist. He slammed down the rest of his punch and grumbled under his breath as he followed the pink man out to the dance floor.

"If I didn't owe you money you would be so dead right now," Roxas shouted over the music.

"Hm? What was that?" Marluxia asked, feigning ignorance. He grabbed Roxas by the wrist and whipped him through the crowd into an open part of the dance floor. "Whoops!" The blonde staggered to his feet and found several dozen eyes staring at him. He looked around wildly but all routes of escape were cut off. He caught Marluxia smirking at him and he swore under his breath.

"Just pretend nobody is there," Roxas muttered. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. ' _Just breathe. No one is watching.'_ The song shifted to one he recognized and a familiar sensation of getting in sync with the beat washed over him. ' _You got this.'_ Roxas started moving his body to the beat of the bass. He started off small with simple changes but picked up as the music did. He could hear people starting to crowd around him and he continued his mantra in his head that he was alone.

He stumbled as his ankles got twisted. His hand shot out and found someone catching it. His eyes looked up to find Aqua there with a smile on her face. "Don't stop. I'll be right here beside you," she urged. Roxas nodded and stood, resuming his dance with Aqua next to him. He was surprised when she copied his moves almost perfectly. Roxas wondered if she truly knew the routine and stepped out just as the music was about to hit the chorus. Both of them dropped to the floor and started breakdancing.

The crowd roared as the pair spun around their own bodies. Then they both popped up at the same time with grins on their faces. They worked around each other in an intricate dance that looked more like a ballet or a choreographed piece of art. Roxas grabbed Aqua's hand and paused for a second.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Sure!" she shouted over the music. Roxas nodded and whirled her around. He lifted her into the air like an ice skater before he interlocked his arms with hers. Then he let her fall backwards. He used the momentum to push off of the ground, his body vaulting over Aqua's head as her feet landed on the floor. She felt his hands let go so she released him. The blonde used his continued momentum to flip around again before landed hard on his feet, stumbling to keep his balance on impact and ungracefully landed on his backside. The crowd burst into cheers while Aqua strode over and helped the teen to his feet. "That was amazing! Where did you learn that?"

"Um, well…" Roxas muttered, turning his gaze away. "Sorry, I sort of got carried away."

"Don't apologize. That was a lot of fun," Aqua defended. "Why don't we get you to dance like that with everyone else?" Roxas's brow furrowed before Aqua pulled Terra into the circle, changing partners. Aqua motioned for him to do the same. Roxas looked out at the crowd, unsure who to pick. His eyes locked onto a flash of red and paused as Axel walked out into the circle. Roxas looked past him to see Larxene holding his wings. When he caught her electric gaze, she flashed him a wink before pointing at Axel.

"Well, you're sure full of surprises," Axel commented. "I don't suppose you'll spare some of that raw energy to dance with your friend?"

"Um, sure," Roxas agreed. The song changed and most of the dancers returned to what they were previously doing on the dance floor. Axel wasn't as graceful as Aqua as a dance partner but Roxas found himself having fun with the goofy red head. As the song ended, Roxas found himself winded and he motioned to Axel he was going to cut out. They wandered over to one of the tables and Roxas placed his warm face on the cool surface. "Shit, I forgot how much work that was," he commented.

"And where, pray tell, did you learn to dance like that?" Axel inquired, leaning against the table.

"Uh, that's sort of a long story I don't really want to get into," Roxas replied.

"You sure looked like you had fun though." Roxas lifted his head from the table and Axel felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. Roxas was smiling. It wasn't his usual smirk or weak attempt. This was a full, open mouth grin that lit up his face.

"Thanks. I had a lot of fun," Roxas stated. Axel smirked and reached across the table, ruffling the blonde's messy locks and knocking the askew ears even more off kilter. The teen chuckled and unconsciously nuzzled his head into the man's touch. Axel felt his cheeks heat up while his stomach flipped upside down. He grabbed Roxas by the wrist and dragged the teen to the back of the ballroom, the blonde sending him a puzzled stare.

Roxas was led towards the bathrooms and initially shrugged it off, thinking maybe Axel wanted to wash his face. But once they got inside, Axel kept tugging on his wrist all the way down to the handicap stall. Roxas's blood ran cold as Axel locked the door. He backed up against the back wall and flinched as the man's arms slammed down on either side of his head, boxing him in. His heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest as he felt Axel staring at him.

"Rox, look at me," Axel requested. The blonde kept his gaze averted. "Roxas." Swearing under his breath, all previous positive energy now gone, Roxas raised his eyes to meet the acid green bearing into him. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before Axel broke the silence. "What are you getting at?" the man murmured.

"I don't understand…" Roxas started.

"Don't lie, Roxas." The blonde flinched. For once, the teen's face was devoid of its usual grim demeanor. He felt lost, confused and, worst of all, exposed. Roxas lowered his gaze so his bangs covered his eyes his shadow. His hands curled into fists against the tile, his heart aching in his chest. "You always act weird around me whenever I get too close. Do you know how hard it is to concentrate with you around? All I've done lately is think about you and what's going on with you. So don't go messing around with my head by trying to be vague or mysterious. Just tell me what's going on!"

Roxas winced, pressing harder against the wall. His fists were curled so tight his hands felt like they were going to explode. His voice wavered in his throat as he attempted to find it, his jaw quivering. He swallowed the bitter pill the braced himself for the storm. "I…I tried to hide it. I really did," he muttered. "They said it was wrong. I'm so damn stupid for thinking I could convince myself otherwise." Roxas raised his head, looking Axel in the dead of his eyes. "I'm bi, Axel."

There was a pause that felt like the calm before a hurricane.

Axel staggered back as the information began sinking in. Roxas pulled the headband from his head and wrung it between his hands, his eyes unfocused upon the floor. His body tensed as he heard Axel's heavy boots step towards him on the tile. He looked up and his eyes shot wide as Axel pressed his lips against his own. Roxas felt like he was floating at his brain short circuited. His arms went limp at his sides, his eyes melting closed as he savored the touch. His lungs started to scream for air and he felt his face being released. He swallowed a thick lump of saliva balled up in the back of his throat as his eyes fluttered open to stare at Axel.

A dusting of blush sprayed over the red head's cheeks as he scratched the back of his head, averting his gaze away from the blonde's. "Well, fuck. What did I do that for…?" he asked himself with a nervous chuckle. He looked up as he heard the bathroom door open and shut. "Maybe we should talk about his later."

"Oh, right," Roxas replied, confused and crestfallen by Axel's reaction. The red head unlocked the stall so they could return to the dance floor when he froze at the person standing outside. Panic slammed into Roxas and he gripped the headband so hard it threatened to snap. "Xaldin…" he breathed.

Axel's eyes narrowed. "What the Hell are you doing here?" he snapped. The newcomer flicked his pony tail of black dreads over his shoulder with a smirk.

"Well, well. I come here to talk with Roxas and I find the murderous drunk as well. I can't believe my luck," Xaldin mused. The man crossed his arms over his board chest and looked to the blonde pressed against the back wall. "I'm sure you're surprised to see me but here I thought you would have known better than to forget about what happened two and a half years ago."

Roxas paled, all sense of calm vaporized as Xaldin's smirk broke into a grin.


	6. 6-Roxas

**A/N-Before we get started I just want to put out there a huge *TRIGGER WARNING*! There will be several in this chapter and _if you are uncomfortable with self-harm, psychological torture, mass shootings, or suicidal situations please either tread carefully or do not read._ I would be more than welcome to give you an overview if you PM me. I kept the gore/graphic scenes minimal (so no intense details) but please don't force yourself to read this if you can't handle it. I don't want to hurt my readers. :( With that said, those of you who are still brave enough to read on, I hope you like it. :) (This is probably the darkest part of the story so it only gets brighter from here. :D)**

Just when he thought he had left it behind, his past had come back to haunt him once more. His mind snapped back to the spring two years prior where his life was forever ruined. Roxas recognized Xaldin since he had been a senior representative on the student council at the time. He was one of the people who helped persuade the school against Roxas, turning his last two years of high school into a living Hell.

Axel wasn't sure why Xaldin was stepping back into their lives but it ticked him off. His fingers tightened on the edge of the stall door, causing the thin wood to creak. "Did you make Roxas's life Hell too?" Axel growled.

"He made it Hell for himself," Xaldin defended. "I'm surprised you never put the two pieces together. Don't you remember what happened in Hollow Bastion two and a half years ago, Axel?"

The red head frowned, the gears turning in his head. He had been at a different school but he had heard all over the news of what happened in the school he had transferred from. There had been a school shooting where one of the students went on a shooting spree in the halls between classes. Forty six student had been injured, fifteen were dead and nine critically injured. Amongst the dead, three had been executed and one was the shooter where he had apparently committed suicide, although it was never confirmed. It occurred to him that Roxas would have been at school there at the time. Axel felt his blood run cold as he turned back to the blonde.

Roxas saw the mixture of confusion clouding over the red head's eyes. The teen's knees gave out as his mind was bombarded by flashbacks, his voice screaming out in pain. He pressed his hands against his skull in attempts to keep the images from returning. "No…no there was so much blood…" Roxas whimpered.

The bathroom door burst open and Demyx rushed in with Zexion and Marluxia close on his heels. Xaldin turned to the trio with a bored expression. Zexion moved to go to Roxas's side but Marluxia held him back, shaking his head in warning.

"Who is this guy? And what did you say to Roxas?!" Demyx demanded.

"Nothing," Xaldin stated. "You're just witnessing the real Roxas for the first time." The man with dreads turned to the teen. "Isn't that right?"

"The real…me?" Roxas murmured. "Right. It's all just a dream." The teen gave an eerie, breathy laugh as he dug his fingers into his hair. "All that blood. Who would have thought?"

"Roxas," Axel called out, his voice unsure. "Please tell me you didn't."

"Did I?" Roxas asked. He untangled his fingers from his hair and looked down at his palms. "I don't remember. Was someone else there? What was I doing that day?"

"Roxas, you're just confused. You didn't kill them!" Marluxia shouted.

"Be quiet. The runt is talking," Xaldin interrupted before turning back to the teen sitting on the floor. "What happened that spring day, Roxas?"

The blonde laughed again, his hands twisting at his headband to the point the fabric started ripping off. "That's right." He looked up at the others, his eyes glazed over with the ghosts of his past. "I shot my friends." Roxas held up his fingers like a gun and "shot" Demyx, Zexion and Marluxia, muttering soft gunshots as he did so. "They were so scared and I could have helped them." Roxas laughed, the eerie chuckle growing into a sound a mad scientist would be jealous of.

"Enough!" Xaldin barked, and Roxas fell quiet. The man's dark eyes shifted to the trio standing by the sinks. "As you can see, he knows his crime. It's just a shame there wasn't enough evidence to get him convicted."

"You shut the Hell up!" Axel barked, giving the darker haired man a shove. "Stop treating him like a murderer! How do you know Roxas wasn't a victim?"

"Because his prints were also on the murder weapon," Xaldin argued. Axel clenched his jaw and slugged Xaldin across the face. The man with dreads staggered into the wall and tripped onto his backside, blood gushing from his nose. Demyx rushed forward and held Axel back from beating the younger man to a pulp, although he was tempted to join the red head in pummeling the stranger.

"I don't care if his shit was on the gun, Roxas wouldn't kill anyone," Axel seethed. He was interrupted by Roxas laughing again. This time, the blonde fell into hysterics. It attracted some students walking by the bathroom and Marluxia quickly hip-checked the door shut before anyone could get in, flipping the dead bolt to keep unnecessary people out. He asked Zexion to call Lexaeus while he called Seifer to get his truck. Marluxia's eyes shifted past Axel and Demyx to see Roxas rising to his feet. The teen tore the fabric free of the metal headband and pulled back to strike.

"Roxas, don't!" Marluxia shouted.

The room cringed as Roxas slammed the metal into his own arm like a syringe. Blood rolled down his biceps to his wrists where the droplets trailed from his fingertips. Roxas laughed even harder at the sight. Then he began to repeatedly stab his own arm with the bloodied band. Red droplets splattered over his white paints like discarded paint, staining the fabric crimson. "I KILLED THEM ALL!" Roxas exclaimed. "I'M JUST AN EMPTY SHELL, A NOBODY!"

Zexion lowered his phone from his ear and stormed across the bathroom. He tugged his glove free and slapped Roxas across the face with a crack, silencing the blonde. Roxas slowly raised his head to meet the elder man's eyes, finding a good amount of rage reflecting in the orbs. "You're not a nobody," Zexion hissed, crushing his phone in his grasp, the plastic creaking under the strain. "You're Roxas and that's all we care about." Zexion pried the metal band from Roxas's fingers and tossed it asides, red droplets splattering on the tiles. "This isn't the real you. I know it because I've been there, seen where that road takes you. It only leads to the darkest pits of Hell where the light of day will never find you. You have to wake up, Roxas! Come back to us."

"Hmph, like he ever could," Xaldin commented as he picked himself off the floor. He strode over to Marluxia, grabbing a paper towel on the way to stanch the flow oozing from his nose, and motioned for the pink haired man to move aside. Marluxia scowled but stepped aside, allowing Xaldin to leave. He blocked off the door again until he heard a knock, finding Lexaeus outside with Larxene. Both were ushered inside along with campus security, who Lexaeus had asked to come with per Zexion's request. On-looking students were ushered away from the bathrooms. Demyx released Axel and the pair was questioned by a police officer. Zexion was pulled aside and was given the same treatment while Roxas's arm was wrapped in bandages to help stanch the extensive bleeding.

The teen was escorted out of the bathroom and Axel interrupted his questioning to ask if he could go with. The police were reluctant but Marluxia managed to persuade them it was alright. Axel was escorted out to the front of the building as well but as he headed to the curb, he spotted Roxas struggling against the police as he was led towards a squad car. A thought occurred to the red head that Roxas had probably been arrested before and he called out to the officers.

"Hey!" Axel shouted, rushing over to the campus police. "I think he'll be better off riding behind." He motioned to Seifer's truck, where the owner leaned against it ready to go. The police were reluctant but agreed, although they would be flanked by a squad car in front and behind on the way to the hospital. Axel had no choice but to cooperate. He ushered Roxas over to the truck and put him in the middle seat while Seifer started the engine. Then he hopped into the passenger seat and released a heavy exhale.

"Didn't think you'd be going back to the hospital so soon, eh?" Seifer stated in a flat tone as he pulled out after the flashing lights. The one time he was allowed to speed and he wasn't even enjoying it. "I don't suppose you want to talk about what happened?"

"Just drive," Axel snapped.

Seifer shrugged. "Fair enough." He glanced at the blonde sitting next to him. The teen was wavering with the loss of blood. His body started leaning and he tipped against Axel's side, his vision growing dimmer by the minute. "I know this is going to sound stupid but I don't think the kid did it."

Axel turned to the driver with a dark look. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. I have siblings in the police force so I hear all sorts of shit through the grapevine. Even knew Riku's bros were in jail when we first met him." Seifer chuckled. "I'd be damned if Roxas killed someone intentionally without a good reason."

"You're one to talk," Axel chided.

"I am. Spent two years in juvey during high school for stabbing a guy sixteen times. He lived, the bastard, but I'll never forget that feeling of murderous intent." Seifer poked Roxas on the shoulder. "This kid doesn't have it. But I'd recognize that look anywhere, the one in his eyes."

"And what's that?"

There was a pause. "The face of the victim who's fighting for their life knowing full well they're going to die."

XxXxX

* * *

 _"Roxas!" Leon called. The blonde shut his locker and smiled as he spotted his friend approaching.._

 _"Hey Leon," Roxas greeted, tucking his books under his arm._

 _"You ready for the chemistry exam today?" the brunette asked. "I hear it's going to be brutal."_

 _"I guess so."_

 _Leon laughed and clasped Roxas on the shoulder. "You'll do fine. You always do."_

* * *

 _"Who's he?" Cloud asked at lunch._

 _"The new kid," Leon explained without even looking up from his tray. Cloud frowned into his milk carton before setting onto the table._

 _"He looks like trouble," the spikey blonde noted._

 _"He can't be that bad," Roxas protested._

 _"Roxas is right. Looks can be deceiving," Leon reminded._

 _"It can't hurt to say hello." Roxas stood and walked by the new kid while bringing up his tray to the garbage's. "Hey," he called out._

 _"Sup," Xigbar replied with a smirk._

* * *

 _"Try and focus, Xigbar," Roxas reminded as they sat in the library. Xigbar balanced a pencil on his nose while staring at the ceiling._

 _"I'd rather do a hundred things than biology," Xigbar complained. He frowned as the pencil slipped from his nose and bounced across the floor. Roxas frowned but turned his attention back to his own work._

* * *

 _"Hey Roxas." Roxas shut his locker and felt a blush spread across his face._

 _"Hey…Aerith," he greeted while shifting his gaze to the lockers to his left._

 _Aerith giggled and clasped her hands behind her back. "Are we still going out after school today?" she asked._

 _"Yeah! Where do you want to go?" Roxas asked, looking into the fair haired brunette's eyes. He wished he hadn't when he saw Aerith smile sweetly at him, his stomach dropping down to his feet._

 _"The movies, remember?" she teased._

 _"Oh, right." Roxas chuckled and scratched the back of his head. He had forgotten._

* * *

 _"Are you okay, Xigbar? You're kind of jumpy today," Roxas noticed as they were walking out of school to the buses. He could barely contain his excitement as his parents had promised to take him car shopping after school now that he had officially passed his driver's exam. Third time's the charm after all._

 _"Nah, I've just got big plans for tomorrow," Xigbar explained with a grin._

 _Roxas raised an eyebrow. "For a Wednesday? Usually Fridays are the days people make big plans."_

 _"Nah, this couldn't wait until Friday. Trust me. You won't want to miss out."_

* * *

 _Roxas shut his locker and turned to find the barrel of a gun in his face. His heart seized in his chest as he froze, his books spilling out over the floor. His eyes shifted to the person behind the weapon to find Xigbar smirking at him. Roxas wanted to look away but he couldn't. Around him he could hear students in an increasing state of panic._

 _"What the fuck are you doing?" Roxas hissed._

 _"Sorry, Roxas. You're just a dead weight," Xigbar scoffed._

 _"Have you lost your mind?!" Roxas protested. "Just put the gun down."_

 _"Think about it, Roxas. No more teachers, no more books…"_

 _"You're sick!" Roxas snapped. He made a grab for the gun but instead was grabbed by Xigbar. The blonde yelped as his arm was twisted painfully behind his back and he gun was pressed to the underside of his chin._

 _"Easy there, Roxas. It would be a shame if…" Xigbar slammed Roxas into the lockers and pinned the dazed blonde in his arms. Then he pressed the gun into Roxas's hand, locking it in place with his own. "You accidentally shot someone." Roxas struggled and found the taller teen's arm snaking around his windpipe. His short air supply was shut off from his lungs, making him gasp for air. His arms started to grow weak and his vision blurry. Then he felt Xigbar squeeze his hand._

 _Screams rose from the hall as the first wave of students fell to the ground. Panic rose as the code lockdown was initiated. Students were herded into nearby classrooms but there were already over a dozen on the ground. Xigbar laughed wildly as he held Roxas at bay. He was taller than Roxas so the blonde could barely touch the ground with his toes. Roxas's struggles became weaker and weaker until his brain could no longer function. Then he passed out._

* * *

 _"Wakey wakey, Roxas. We still have so much to do," Xigbar chimed. Roxas cracked open his eyes. He realized what was happening and struggled against the bonds holding him to the chair, but the duct tape held firm. Xigbar kicked Roxas's right arm backwards, causing him to scream in agony as the joint broke. Roxas squirmed in his seat as tears poured down his face. Then, through the water, he spotted three people he never wanted to see._

 _In front of him, Cloud, Leon and Aerith were taped to chairs._

 _Leon had a wound to his shoulder and Cloud was unconscious. Aerith was crying, although her sobs were muffled by the tape over her mouth. Roxas screamed under the tape on his mouth as Xigbar grabbed his broken arm and cut it free from the tape. His screams grew louder as his arm was lifted to hold that God-forsaken gun again, this time at his own friends. "I think it's time for a bit of a sendoff. What do you think?" Xigbar asked the blonde he was controlling. Roxas shook his head vigorously. "Don't be shy now, Roxas. It'll only take a second…" Xigbar aimed the gun towards Cloud and put some pressure over Roxas's finger. Cloud was knocked back in his chair as the bullet slammed into his chest. Aerith screamed under her tape and Roxas struggled once again to break free. "Shh, it'll be over soon," Xigbar reassured him. The next shot went through Leon's head._

 _Xigbar chuckled as he pointed the gun towards Aerith. He clicked his tongue and let Roxas go for a moment, the blonde screaming in pain as his arm moved. He ripped the tape from Aerith's mouth before moving back to Roxas._

 _"How about some farewells for the lovely couple, eh?" Xigbar offered._

 _"Roxas, I'm sorry!" Aerith wailed. Her voice hitched as Roxas was forced to raise the gun once more. "Roxas, it's not your fault…" Aerith whispered before a bullet lodged in her throat. Her voice gurgled as blood filled her throat before she fell silent, drowning on her own life force. Xigbar burst out laughing as Aerith fell still._

 _"Excellent! Now we just have to clean up…" Xigbar twitched as the gun went off into his side. He looked down at the blonde, blue eyes storming with malice. "You little fucker…" Xigbar tried to pry the gun away but Roxas tilted it back and shot Xigbar through the chin. The elder teen collapsed onto the ground, his body twitching as the bullet danced around in his brain._

 _Roxas looked down at the gun in his broken hand. His eyes swept over the room, tears pouring unnoticed down his face. His world was destroyed. There was no way he would be able to face coming back to school. His eyes shifted to the weight in his lap._ 'No one will miss me' _he thought. He cried out as he shifted the weapon and leaned forward so the barrel sat against his chest. Roxas closed his eyes and counted to three._

 _Then he pulled the trigger._

* * *

XxXxX

When Roxas woke in the hospital, it was night out still. He glanced down at his arm wrapped in more bandages and when he shifted he could feel the stitches pulling at his skin. His other arm was attached to more IVs. Next to him sat Axel, who looked like he hadn't slept in some time. The red head offered him a small smile when he caught the blonde's blue gaze but Roxas shifted his eyes away.

"Roxas, please don't shut me out," Axel begged. Roxas glanced at the red head, noting he was still wearing his Halloween gear. "Just tell me how I can help."

"You can't," Roxas stated in a cold voice, his gaze looking up at the ceiling. "There's nothing anyone can do."

"Can you at least tell me what happened?" Axel asked.

Roxas sighed. He felt defeated and empty. "I suppose there's no hiding it now." He went onto explain what had happened leading up to the event and what he recalled. "It was spring. There was a new kid in our school and I was stupid enough to try and get to know him. The day it happened I had been planning with my friends to go to the beach over the weekend." Roxas took a deep breath before continuing with the gory details, keeping his eyes locked away from Axel. All while he spoke Axel didn't say a word. When Roxas reached the part about his friends, he struggled to keep the hitch out of his voice. He took a deep breath to steel himself before continuing.

"I woke up in the hospital six weeks later," Roxas stated. "My parents were the only ones who came to visit but even then they couldn't stand the press waiting outside the front doors." Roxas pinched his eyes shut as more memories came flooding back. "I was taken to court. I was labeled as an asset to the crime and the prosecutor tried to pin the murders of my friends onto me. The lack of conclusive evidence kept me from going to juvey. It didn't matter. I was stuck in a personal Hell. In my mind, the blood wouldn't wash off of my skin. Everywhere I went I was in fear someone would try to take advantage of me again.

"Then I had to go back to school. I was treated like a villain…or maybe even something worse. Their cold gazes never went away. Some days a group of kids would beat me up after school. I didn't care, though. I figured I was simply suffering for what I had tried to do. I was labeled a coward for trying to kill myself and they despised the fact the doctors chose me, one of the nine critically injured, to save when that medical attention could have been put to use saving other lives that mattered far more than my own." Roxas chuckled weakly. "As if I asked to be saved. My parents stopped talking to me and when they did it was filled with a lot of cold or empty stares. My dad tried to show me sympathy but never in front of others. He had an image to uphold. After awhile, I turned to music to drown out the screams in my head. I locked my emotions away and changed my image by the fall of the next year. I thought if I could change myself, then it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe the pain would have gone away. But it didn't matter because nothing changed. Each new incoming class would turn against me all the same.

"When I graduated, five students gave speeches. I sat in my chair and pretended not to exist. Hell, I was lucky enough to walk. My family didn't even bother showing up for the ceremony. I still remember all of those cold eyes staring at me as my name was called. I didn't shake anyone's hand as I walked across the stage. I just grabbed the damn diploma and left straight out the door, throwing my graduation cap and gown in the garbage before leaving the school forever," Roxas stated. His face relaxed as the tension of retelling his past faded. "I still have nightmares and some days the screams or the flashbacks won't leave me the fuck alone. But no one can change that." Roxas opened his eyes to the empty ceiling as the room was bathed in silence.

"Roxas…" Axel started.

"Just go home, Axel," Roxas requested. The red head frowned. "I was an idiot to think I could ever have a normal life again." Roxas rolled onto his side so his back was to the elder. "It's best we don't hang out anymore."

Axel felt like a spear of ice shot through his chest. "You don't mean that," he pleaded. "Roxas, don't shut me out. I want to help…"

"There's nothing to help." Roxas listened to the silence that followed. Then he heard Axel stand and leave the room, bathing the space in quiet once more. Roxas closed his eyes and found his dreams were anything but silent as his nightmares returned once more.

XxXxX

To say he was worried was an understatement. No, he was ready to chew through bricks because his nails had already been chewed to nubby stubs. Marluxia wanted to smash his face against his keyboard but he knew it wouldn't fix the situation. Ever since Axel came back from the hospital he had reverted into his shell, keeping everyone at a distance like he had five years prior. Even though Roxas was back in school, it didn't sound like the pair was talking. Roxas had even stopped visiting the townhouse. There were no more texts, no more ice cream runs. Just a hollow distance.

As the semester wore on, he grew so worried he cancelled all of his Christmas plans just to remain on campus with Axel. He knew it probably wouldn't help but it put some ease into his mind for a brief moment before more worry-some thoughts flooded his mind. It didn't help Axel would slip away to his cold showers more and more often. He knew it was Axel's way of trying to cope with what happened in the past and with the similar feeling of loss he was most likely feeling at present, but it was driving Marluxia insane.

Across campus, Pence was in a similar boat with Roxas. The blonde went back to his bad eating habits and it took a lot of coaxing from himself, Hayner and Olette to get Roxas to eat enough during the day. Roxas stopped responding to most questions Pence asked and he stopped seeking help for his homework. As Pence predicted, the blonde's grades started slipping faster than his class attendance. There were no more texts from Axel and Roxas locked himself in their dorm every night. It was almost as if he was going out of his way to avoid the red head at all costs. Pence could only imagine what it was like to have class with Axel twice a week as each time the blonde came back from his Lit class he was on the verge of tears.

There were quite a few nights he had to comfort Roxas after he woke up screaming. Hayner wasn't the best when it came to comforting his friend but Olette naturally went into mother hen mode whenever Roxas was around. Roxas would attempt to shrug off the attention but Olette wouldn't have it with his moping. Yet no matter how hard the trio tried, they couldn't get Roxas to smile again.

With the semester at its end, Pence knew Roxas was going to be struggling, especially since the blonde was staying on campus for Christmas. He held off his plans to travel home until the twenty fourth to keep Roxas company but he was worried what would happen when he left. He wished he could just call Axel up and have him watch over Roxas but that wasn't going to happen. Pence felt like was getting to his wit's end. Roxas also didn't get his 4.0 for the semester, which meant his scholarship money was cut in half. When Pence caught a glance of Roxas checking his bank account, the numbers didn't look good for the upcoming spring. The brunette was worried his roommate would have to drop out of school.

But that was least of his concerns.

XxXxX

December 23rd had arrived with a light dusting of snow over the campus to meld with the cold winter weather. The evening before the Eve Pence was finishing off his packing, double checking his bags that he had indeed remembered all of his necessities. Roxas sat at his desk staring out the window, his feet pulled up onto his chair and his arms wrapped around his knees. He had been quiet all day, which wasn't unusual as of late, but Pence was still worried. It was impossible to tell what the blonde was thinking.

As Pence zipped up the last of his duffels, he heard Roxas moved and looked up to find the blonde slipping on his coat. "You're going out?" Pence asked.

"I thought I'd slip by the gas station before it closes. Pick up some candy or something," Roxas muttered, shoving his keys into his pocket. The blonde paused, looking back at Pence. "Did you want anything? They still might have those Christmas M&M's you like."

"Oh, sure! That sounds great. You want me to get you some cash?" Pence asked. He was relieved Roxas appeared to be somewhat returning to his old self. As he looked for his wallet, which he misplaced somewhere in the mountain of bags, Roxas shook his head.

"No, it's fine. Early Christmas gift," the blonde offered.

"Sounds good. Don't take too long. It's getting cold outside," Pence warned. Roxas gave a stiff nod before leaving the room. Pence, who was in much brighter spirits, settled down in his chair and opened his laptop for a movie. It was twenty minutes in, when he went to make a bag of popcorn, he noticed Roxas had forgotten his phone. Seeing the device on his roommate's desk unnerved him. Roxas never went anywhere without his phone. In fact, he would purposely be late for class if he ended up forgetting it because he would back track to the dorm and pick it up without another thought. "Maybe it just lapsed his mind. He has a lot going on," Pence attempted to reason with himself.

When thirty minutes passed and Roxas still had not returned, Pence could no longer concentrate on his movie. He knew the gas station was a ten minute drive. He also knew the roads had some snow on them so they were probably slippery and Roxas was driving slow. Or the blonde was having a hard time picking out something to snack on. Or he had to go to a different gas station because the closest one closed early.

Or Roxas wasn't coming back.

Pence shoved the thought from his head and tossed the remains of his barely touched popcorn in the trash. His appetite had evaporated and all he could think about was where Roxas had gone. He desperately wanted to call his roommate but it was useless as the blonde's phone was sitting next to him. After ninety minutes, he was considering calling campus security to find his friend. He shut off his movie and threw on his coat, determined to find the blonde before he froze to death in the cold. His eyes glanced at the phone sitting on Roxas's desk, apprehension making him hesitate.

"Damn it, he better pick up," Pence muttered. He snatched up the phone and dialed Axel's number. It rang four times before going to voicemail. Pence swore and tried calling again. And again. And again. On the fifth time, the phone went to voicemail after the second ring, meaning Axel was intentionally avoiding his calls. Pence called two more times, each getting hung up on, before it finally connected.

"Axel's phone, annoyed roommate speaking. You're really ticking him off, Roxas," the speaker stated.

"This isn't Roxas," Pence clarified. "My name is Pence, I'm Roxas's roommate. I think he's gone missing."

"What?! Missing? Wait, Axel, where are you…" The line went quiet for awhile before the voice spoke up again. "Axel just ran out. I'm Marluxia. Please, tell me everything," the voice demanded. Pence went onto explain Roxas's leave to the gas station, the duration of time, and how he had left his phone behind as if he didn't want to be found. "What are you planning on doing?" Marluxia asked.

"I'm going out to look for him," Pence explained.

"I'll do the same." The call ended and Pence ended the call. When the app closed, what was running in the background caught Pence's attention. His eyes scanned over the screen, widening when he saw what was written. Then he sprinted from the room towards the parking ramp. He had to find Roxas before it was too late.

XxXxX

There were a lot of things Axel didn't care about: how he looked, the color of his unnaturally red hair, what people thought of him. When he sped off down the road, he added abiding by the law to his list. He didn't care he was driving seventy in a thirty. He couldn't have cared less his toes were numb from wearing his tattered flip flops while running across the snow dusted yard. Heck, even the fact he was wearing a t-shirt and pajama bottoms didn't make him bat an eye. For when he left there was only one thing on his mind: finding Roxas.

He was already beating himself up over the fact he never picked up the phone. When he had heard Pence's frantic voice, his world was turned inside out once more. Why had he rejected friendship just because he was confused? Why did he push Roxas away like he asked when the teen was clearly in pain? It wasn't like him. Axel didn't know who had taken over his body since that day at the hospital but whoever or whatever it was, wasn't human.

' _I messed up. But I'm going to fix this! I have to…'_

With campus closed, it limited the options for places for the blonde to be hiding. If he was still on campus. An idea struck Axel and he changed his headed towards the bridge. His chest felt like it was going to burst when he spotted brake lights up ahead. He screeched his car to a halt and he sprinted over to the white car parked in the entryway. Panic seized him once more when he found the front door open and the car empty. His eyes frantically searched the bridge under the spotty lamp light. Through the darkness, he caught a speck of golden light shimmering in the frigid wind.

"Roxas…" Axel sprinted across the bridge, pushing through the freezing cold to reach the last glimmer of hope. As he drew closer, he could make out the blonde's slim figure standing on the outside of the railing, his eyes locked on the frosty river below. Axel slipped on a patch of ice and smashed his chin into the pavement, blood oozing into his mouth. He spat out the coppery saliva and picked himself up, cursing as his chin and knees throbbed with each step. "Roxas, please don't…" Axel begged. He watched Roxas close his eyes and lean forward, his grip loosening on the railing.

" _ROXAS!"_

Axel's legs slammed into the railing and he wrapped his arms tight around the teen, pulling him back just in time. His ragged breathing tussled the blonde locks, a few stray droplets of blood spraying from his lips. When it hit him that he had just saved Roxas's life, Axel felt a wave of relief and a rush of adrenaline hit him, his entire body trembling. His cheeks became rather cold for some reason and his eye lashes started to freeze together, making his already blurry vision worsen.

"Axel," Roxas called out, his voice distant. "Let go."

"No!" Axel barked. "I let you go once and I'm never doing it again. So if you plan on jumping, you're going to have to take me with you."

"Don't be stupid. You have people waiting for you," Roxas argued, his tone still void of emotion.

"So do you…"

"Axel." Roxas turned his head so one of his dulled, blue eyes met the gaze of the red head's acidic green. "No one will miss me."

"That's not true!" Axel shouted. His chest felt like it was being pried apart with a crowbar. "I would…" He tightened his grip on the blonde, pulling him closer. "So don't you dare jump! I'll do whatever you want, say whatever you want. I just…can't lose you too." Roxas frowned as cold tears seeped down to his scalp. "You're not the only one who's hurting," Axel croaked, his voice hoarse.

Roxas watched the red head break down behind him. It was disheartening to see the man such a wreck when he was normally so stable. With a sigh, he pushed himself on top of the railing so he sat on it, allowing Axel to pull him back to the safety of the bridge. Roxas pried the man's arms from his torso and turned around to face the red head. Axel's eyes were red and puffy as tears poured down his face and snot dripped from his nose. His shoulders shook from the cold while his chin and knees were oozing blood to the surface of his skin. Roxas unzipped his jacket and slung it over Axel's shoulders to help keep him warm.

"You're such a baby," Roxas commented. He shivered as the cold pierced through his thin clothes, wishing he had grabbed a sweater before taking off, but where he planned on going he wasn't going to need it.

Axel sniffed and wiped his nose on the back of his arm. "What's your problem?" he demanded, his eyes turning cold. Roxas was taken aback.

"My problem? What's your problem?!" the teen shot back.

"If you're so damn depressed you need to go jump off a bridge then why aren't you seeing a counselor or something?" Axel argued.

"Counselor?"

"Zexion knows people over in the psychology department who work counseling students. He could have found you someone you could vent to," Axel continued.

"Axel, you can't fix my problems," Roxas defended.

"Well, I can damn well try." Axel pulled the coat tighter around his shoulders. It was too small for him to put on but the makeshift cape was welcome against the cold wind. "You're trying to take on the world by yourself again and you just can't! Why is it so difficult for you to lean on someone else for a change?"

"Maybe because for the past two years whenever I needed a crutch no one so much as batted an eye!" Roxas snapped. "You don't get it! You don't know what it's like to have your class, your school, even your own parents turn against you. Everyone hated me!"

"That's not true!" The pair turned to find Pence climbing out of his van. They had been so busy arguing they hadn't heard the brunette's vehicle approach. Pence jogged over to the pair, his breath rising into the air with each exhale and pulled out Roxas's phone from his pocket. "I can prove it's not true," he gasped, trying to regain his breath from his short run.

"Give that back!" Roxas demanded. He dove for his phone but Pence pulled it out of the way. Axel grabbed the blonde and yanked him into his chest, restraining the teen with his long arms. Roxas squirmed to break free but his arms were locked at his sides.

"Let me go," Roxas growled.

"Not until you hear this," Pence argued.

Roxas bared his teeth at his roommate. "You think you're hot shit? You think you could possible understand what I went through?!" Pence's eyes narrowed. "This has nothing to do with you. With any of you!"

"Roxas, you're stuck in the past," Pence snapped. "You need to come to realize the entire world isn't against you."

"They are against me…!" A loud crack echoed across the bridge. Roxas blinked, unsure what had happened. He turned his head towards Pence and a sharp sting erupted across his cheek. Pence, the guy who didn't have the heart to hurt anyone, glared back at him. The brunette lowered his hand back to his side, his palm red from slapping his roommate.

"Roxas, you were the first person I met here and for the first time in years you didn't tease or harass me. You didn't snicker under your breath when I said something stupid or called me an idiot when I messed up. You treated me like an equal. We're friends, Roxas! I know friendship doesn't mean much to you but it means a lot to me. To Axel too, I'm sure. How do you think I feel when you run away without telling me? I'm not garbage, Roxas." Pence let out an angry huff and pulled up something on Roxas's phone. "Plus I have a feeling your friends are important to you too." Pence showed Roxas the screen, revealing it was the blonde's contact list. There at the top, right above Axel, was Aerith's name. A few spaces later was Cloud's and, even though it wasn't visible, Leon's was there as well. "You cared for them so deeply you never had the heart to delete their names. You couldn't get rid of this one piece of your past because it would mean cutting them from your life forever." Pence pulled the phone back and fiddled with the screen again.

"I read the article on your phone," he continued. Roxas tensed, his eyes all but shooting daggers at his roommate. "I'm guessing this is what made you snap." Pence showed the pair the article that had been on Roxas's phone earlier. It read ' _Hollow Bastion Shooting, Truth Brought to Light After Three Years of Investigating'_. The first few sentences were visible on the screen, making it seem like Roxas was the real shooter of the event. "You didn't read the entire article, did you?" Pence inquired.

"Why bother? The entire nation knows I'm a murderer," Roxas spat. A frown pressed down on his lips as Pence shook his head. And he was smiling! Roxas had no idea why his roommate was smiling but he desperately wanted to wipe it from his face.

"Let me read it to you," Pence offered. "Then afterwards you can decide whether the whole world is against you."

Roxas averted his gaze, grumbling under his breath. Axel gave him a reassuring squeeze. "It wouldn't hurt," the red head murmured into his head. Axel nodded at Pence and the brunette cleared his throat, turning the screen back towards himself to read the contents.

"'After nearly three years of dredging through the dark past that had befallen Hollow Bastion with the school massacre at Chesterson High School, the legal system has finally brought the loose ends to a close. On that day, seventeen year old Xigbar went on to take fourteen lives of his fellow students before taking his own. He had an accomplice, sixteen year old Roxas, to help him steal these precious lives from us.' That's all that is on the initial screen. This is what you missed," Pence clarified. "'At least this was what the initial investigation revealed. However, after further research and several interviews, we have come to find that the police's initial investigation was lacking, mostly due to the lack of cameras in the school. Students, who are now graduated, agreed to interviews outside of the pressure of their peers and many revealed Roxas was never an accomplice and instead was as hostage. He was overpowered by Xigbar and eventually locked in a classroom where three students were found bound with tape and shot. The incident was re-trialed in court and Roxas was declared exempt of all charges this past October.

"'We spoke with one of the victim's mothers regarding the new verdict. "It was a true tragedy, one I will never forget. It took the life of my Aerith away along with her closest friends. I cannot express the pain I feel every day now that my beautiful daughter is missing from the world. Yet the pain I feel every day cannot come to match that Roxas was feeling. His peers and school turned against him and he became an outcast in his own city. While some call his act to take his life cowardly, I see it as a sorrowful cry for what he had to witness that day. I recall the day of graduation where he was supposed to speak as one of the valedictorians, however he was never called to the stage. I watched as the crowd fell silent when he accepted his diploma before he left the auditorium and vanished from our lives altogether. Where he went from there, many of us do not know. But I would like to reach out to him in some way, if I even deserve the right to after failing to stand up for him for so many years." When asked what she would like to say to him, she had this to say. "Roxas, we were wrong. I'm so sorry for what happened to you. Know that I will gladly accept you into my home with open arms. And an open heart." While the transgressions of the past cannot be erased, people such as Aerith's mother show we have the fortitude and strength to rise up after such a tragic event and embrace those who are in the most need.'"

Pence looked up from the phone. Roxas had his gaze on the bridge while Axel had loosened his hold on the blonde. Roxas was silent for a long time, the only sounds echoing over the bridge being the whistling wind chilling the trio's bare flesh.

"I don't know what happened in your past, and I know I'll never understand what you went through, but that doesn't mean I don't want you around. I like you for who you are, Roxas. Flaws and all. Now where's that kickass roommate I've grown to know over the past four months?" Pence asked. When Roxas didn't reply, Axel stepped back from the blonde to peer down at him.

"Rox?" Axel pressed.

Roxas's chest hitched and his shoulders started to tremble. When he raised his face, his cheeks were streaming with tears. Roxas bit down on his bottom lip to keep himself from falling apart. Pence smiled and offered Roxas his phone back. The blonde looked down at the device, his hand shaky as he placed his palm over the screen. Pence gave a tug and pulled Roxas into his embrace.

"You're safe now," Pence muttered. He looked up as Axel stepped over, crushing both of the teen's in his lanky arms.

"You're home," Axel added.

Roxas couldn't hold back anymore and his resolve shattered. He pressed his face into Pence's shirt and screamed, his fingers threatening to rip the fabric as they clenched at the brunette's sides. Sobs wracked his body as all his emotions came flooding out. Past. Present. Everything washed out that he had been holding back over the past two and a half years. All his anxiety, anger and fears seemed to melt away. People wanted him. People loved him. People forgave him.

People would miss him.

Roxas sniffed and shifted, the pair squishing him backing off to allow him some space. The blonde wiped his nose on his shirt and rubbed the water from his face. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Anytime," Pence stated with a grin. Roxas forced a weak smile in return. Axel slung an arm over Roxas's shoulders, the blonde looking up at him at the gesture. "Now you have better be in our room when I get back from holiday. I don't want a new roommate," Pence threatened.

Roxas chuckled. "I'll be there," he promised. "See you in January?"

"You bet! I'll bring back so many Christmas cookies we're going to have to roll to class," Pence joked. Roxas chuckled before giving Pence one last quick hug. The brunette turned to Axel. "Look after him for me while I'm gone."

"That shouldn't be too hard," Axel replied, ruffling the blonde's hair. He frowned as he brought his hand back and found it smeared with his own blood, which had dripped into the golden locks when Roxas was being held back. He returned his gaze to the brunette as he continued speaking.

"He needs to get fed three times a day and requires a lot of work to get out of bed. Now I'm sure you can handle him but try not to let him get into too much trouble." Axel burst out laughing, wincing as his chin scabs pulled against his face. "You coming back to the dorm or you going to stay with Axel for the night?" Pence asked of his roommate.

"I'll probably stay with Axel," Roxas replied.

Pence nodded and gave the pair a wave, heading back to his van. "Merry Christmas!" he called over his shoulder.

"Go eat some cookies already!" Roxas shot back. Pence burst out laughing as he climbed into his vehicle. Then he pulled away, leaving the pair on the bridge to themselves.

Axel shivered and sneezed, pulling his coat cape tighter around his shoulders. "Damn if it isn't cold," he muttered. "Can we go get warm now?"

"Yeah," Roxas agreed, wrapping his arms around his torso as a particularly cold breeze made his skin prickle. Axel gasped as he realized he never informed Marluxia he had found Roxas and hurried to call his roommate. They exchanged a brief conversation as the pair headed back to their vehicles, Axel letting out a long sigh when he hung up. He inquired if Roxas was able to drive and the teen nodded. "My head's a bit fuzzy but I'm sure I can make it across campus. I did it before."

"Right…I'm going to follow you just to make sure you don't end up running over some poor old grandmas taking a night stroll," Axel stated.

The drive across campus was quiet, neither listening to their usual music. They stared at the road ahead while trying to ignore the pounding in their skulls from sobbing just a few moments earlier. They parked and Axel gave Roxas back his jacket, his hands rubbing his chilled arms as they strode up to the door. Axel noticed Marluxia had returned to the townhouse when he spotted his roommates car parked in its usual spot on the street. He found the front door open and the pair stepped inside the warm entryway.

"We're back," Axel called.

"Good Heavens! Axel, what did you do to your face?!" Marluxia exclaimed, tugging the red head inside and examining his chin. Roxas shut the door behind him and turned to find himself engulf in a warm hug curtesy of Zexion. It was turned into a crushing match as Demyx squished both of the smaller males in his arms, wailing on how worried he had been.

"Please tell me you're alright," Zexion begged as the elder pair released the blonde.

"I'm doing better," Roxas stated. "Not great but…better."

Zexion smiled. "That's good. I think you and Axel need some hot showers," he determined.

"You look like a pair of snowmen," Demyx commented, earning a smack on the shoulder from his roommate. Roxas was ushered upstairs while Axel was brought up not long after for Marluxia to look at his scrapes. Zexion found Roxas some clothes and the blonde slipped into the open bathroom to shower. As he shut the door, he could hear Axel cussing as Marluxia worked on clearing the abrasions.

Thirty minutes of hot water and steam later, Roxas stepped out of the bathroom feeling warm and clean. Zexion's clothes fit him rather well, although it was just a plain grey t-shirt and black shorts. He spotted movement across the hall and spied Axel stepping into his own bathroom with a shirt slung over his shoulder. His bare back and toned muscles weren't what caught the blonde's eye. It was the large scar trailing down his spine. Yet before he could stare the door shut between him and the mysterious scar. Roxas decided to ask about it later and shuffled down the hall to Axel's room.

Marluxia hadn't arrived yet so he had the space to himself. Roxas tip-toed across the carpet and flopped down on Axel's bed. He shivered as the cool air brushed against his warm skin and crawled under the covers, the cool sheets warming up with his radiating heat. Roxas rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. It was the first time he had ever slept in someone else's bed and found it equally awkward as it was exciting. The pillow smelt like Axel, the red head's subtle spicy scent lingering behind. At some point he drifted off to sleep, his dreams quiet. He saw the faces of Cloud, Aerith and Leon smiling at him before they faded with the growing sunrise like a morning mist. Yet Roxas didn't feel sad. Instead he felt warm, like he was being embraced in his dreams.

 _I watched you fast asleep._


	7. 7-All I Want for Christmas is You

**A/N-OMIGOSH I'm sooooo sorry this is coming out so late in the day. I was just crammed for time. But I did not forget! So read and enjoy the latest chapter in our odd little tale. ^^**

Roxas grunted softly and pressed his face deeper into the sheets. As he inhaled, he caught a whiff of spice in his nostrils, making the edges of his lips curl upwards. He couldn't remember the last time he slept without nightmares or without his music to send him to sleep. Waking up in complete comfort had been a stranger to him for the past couple months and he was enjoying the blissful feeling once more. His dreams were still filled with red, although this time it was a different shade. A softer hue. The color of leaves in the fall on a cool day with the smell of baking spices to add to the sensation autumn had once again returned.

His body tensed as he felt movement behind him and his mind snapped out of its doze. Glancing over his shoulder, he remembered what had transpired the night before as he caught sight of Axel fast asleep behind him. Roxas rested his head back down on the sheets, as Axel was hogging the pillow, and closed his eyes. He felt something squeeze around his abdomen. Roxas slithered a hand below the sheets to find he was locked in the red head's arms, forbidden to leave. When he shifted his shoulders, he could feel his shirt brushing against Axel's. They were practically touching!

Not that it would be a bad thing.

' _Did Axel do this intentionally or was it by accident?'_ Roxas wondered, pretending to go back to sleep. Smirking, he decided to make the most of it. He rolled over and ended up curled up against the red head's chest, Axel's exhales brushing his wild blonde spikes. Roxas rested his forehead against the fabric of the other man's shirt, inhaling Axel's scent. Reluctantly, he reminded himself Axel was off limits. Or was he? Roxas's face flushed as he thought back to Halloween and the feeling of Axel's lips pressed against his own. His fingers went up to brush his lips. With a sigh, he dropped his hand and dismissed his thoughts. ' _Not going to happen.'_

"If you sigh anymore, I'm going to get Marluxia's duct tape," Axel threated through muttered lips. Roxas jolted and scooted away from the red head. Axel groaned and rolled onto his back, flopping his upper arm over his face. "Rox, you're going to have to move your ass. I can't feel my arm." Roxas shifted and Axel slipped his numb limb to his side, flopping his hand onto his stomach. The red head muttered his thanks before his breathing slowed again, appearing to have fallen back asleep.

Roxas began to pick at the lint sticking to the comforter. "Ax?" he called out softly.

"Ungh…" came the red head's undignified reply.

"What happened back in high school?" Roxas asked.

Axel pried his arm away from his face to peer down at the blonde. "What do you mean?"

"We used to go to school together, remember?" Axel muttered something incoherent and his arm dropped back down over his eyes. "You used to be the loud, popular guy the entire school knew about whether they wanted to or not. Then when I came back from Christmas break I barely heard a word about you, save for the rumors being whispered in the halls." Axel was silent for awhile, making Roxas think he had actually fallen asleep. Then he burst out laughing.

"Shit, you were that dweeby freshman that stopped to talk to me when I cleaned out my locker," Axel recalled. Roxas felt his chest swell, the memory coming back to him as well. Then he frowned.

"I wasn't dweeby," he protested.

"You were like this lost hamster. Or maybe like a cat…? You just had this innocent cuteness fluttering around you," Axel mused. Roxas felt his cheeks turn a few shades pinker and resumed picking lint off of the comforter. He was thankful Axel had his eyes covered. "I don't even remember what we talked about. Do you?"

"No," Roxas lied, knowing it was best to keep the past left where it was.

Axel hummed under his breath and yawned. "Alright, I'll talk. But first you need to tell me where you learned to dance."

Roxas smirked. "So you noticed, huh?"

"The entire school noticed," Axel shot back. Roxas sighed, crawling over Axel to get his phone located on the red head's desk. He flicked through the internet until he found what he was looking for, then he crawled back to his place on the bed. He gave Axel a nudge, the elder peeking out from under his arm. He found Roxas offering his phone to him and accepted it, finding a video on the screen. Tapping, play he found a younger version of Roxas waiting anxiously with another blonde teen on the side of an open floor. When their names were called, they headed out and started performing a routine together.

"I went clubbing with my friends a few times," Roxas explained. "I had so much fun, my friend, Cloud, and I decided we wanted to try doing it competitively. We trained for a year and got a few competitions under our wings before…well before he died."

Axel finished watching the video and handed the phone back to Roxas. Then he sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "I was kind of an idiot in high school," he started, dropping his hands onto his stomach. "I would sneak into parties and drink. You know, stuff the cool kids did." He glanced at Roxas and the blonde's blue eyes stared back at him, urging him onwards with a crystalline warmth. "Over Christmas break my senior year, I snuck out with a friend to go to this Christmas party I knew some college kids were throwing. My friend, being the responsible one, was the one driving. He wasn't supposed to drink that night. Yet I was the idiot and put a few cups in his hand to help him loosen up a bit, not even thinking about the drive back home. By the time we called it quits I was wasted. I barely remember leaving the party." Axel pinched his eyes shut, painful memories resurfacing once more. "The roads had been slippery that night. From what I was told, he overcorrected and we were sent flying into a guard rail on a back road with a steep drop off. We tore through it and were sent rolling down the side. He had been smart enough to put my seatbelt on. He forgot about his own. He was ejected from the car while I bounced all the way down into a large tree.

"I remember faint echoes of people's voices at the crash site but I didn't officially wake up until I was in the hospital. I had been sent straight to surgery, eighteen hours of tinkering with the nerves of my spine in attempts to have me be able to walk again should I ever wake up. My friend had hit a tree during the fall. Impaled by a branch, I guess. I was so confused when I woke up because the last thing I remember was having fun at the party." Axel chuckled darkly, opening his eyes to the bleak ceiling above. "All I remember was the numbing cold surrounding me as my body sat waiting for someone to find me. The cold, gripping despair…"

Axel took a deep breath before continuing. "After the break ended, my life turned into Hell when rumors started to fly around school. People blamed what happened on me. They knew I had been drinking and people started saying they wanted me in jail. That Xaldin kid didn't help either. He kept pushing me to turn myself in, to admit I had killed my friend. So I applied for a transfer, leaving Chesterson over spring break. I met Marluxia soon after trading schools and we became friends. He pulled me out of the despair that I had sunken into over the past few months. During my first semester here I met Demyx in a music Lit class and I was honestly scared of the guy with his face piercings," Axel admitted, chuckling. Even Roxas cracked a smile at the memory of Demyx going back to his roots at Halloween. "He introduced me to Zexion the next year and we went off from there as friends. It almost makes my senior year of high school seem so far away, like it never existed."

"What was your friend's name?" Roxas inquired, curious.

There was a pause before Axel answered. "Saïx. We were friends throughout childhood. We were practically inseparable," Axel reminisced, a sad smile fading onto his face.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Axel pressed. "It's not your fault he died."

"Right…" Roxas rolled onto his side so he was facing Axel and curled his legs up towards his chest, his fingers picking at the lint on the sheets. He felt his heart sink a bit as Axel started humming softly, the tune of ' _Hikari'_ floating through the calm of the dark bedroom. Roxas almost found it within him to chuckle at the irony.

"Hey," Axel called out, interrupting himself. "I just remembered I wanted to ask you before. Where and when did you learn to sing in Japanese?"

"It's just the one song," Roxas clarified.

"How long did it take you to learn that?" Axel pressed, turning his head to look down at the blonde curled up less than a foot away from himself.

Roxas paused as he gave it some thought. "A week, maybe. It's stupid."

"Try me," Axel said with a chuckle. The blonde sighed and closed his eyes, his mind failing to suppress more memories in his mind.

"Our class picked out 'Sanctuary' for our senior song to be played at graduation. I hadn't heard of it before since I was downing myself in metal at the time. I had to look it up online and one of the recommended links was to the original, Japanese version. I liked it better than the English version and I sort of looped it for awhile. The words just got stuck in my head." Roxas chuckled. "I wasn't even trying to memorize it. During graduation, they played it right after the students all took their seats. A lot of my classmates starting singing along." Roxas took a deep breath to steady his nerves, opening his eyes to stare unfocused at Axel's shoulder. "I sang along too but in Japanese just to show them all up. A few kids around me stopped singing and stared. The kid next to me actually kicked me to get me to stop."

Axel chuckled. "They were just jealous of your voice. You out sang them all and it was all they could do to stop and listen," he insisted.

Roxas snorted softly. "Yeah. Right. I wasn't that great." Roxas felt the bed shift as Axel rolled onto his side, facing the blonde with his bright green eyes. He offered the teen a warm smile and ran his fingers through the messy blonde locks. Roxas closed his eyes at the touch.

"See, just like a kitten," Axel teased. It wasn't long before Roxas's breathing evened out as his mind returned to a doze. Axel smirked and rested his forehead against the teen's. He began humming again, this time the familiar tendrils of 'Passion _'_ drifting into the air. At some point he found himself opening his eyes with a groggy mind, alerting him he had fallen asleep. He shifted and found Roxas curled up against his chest. Axel ran his fingers through the blonde locks again, the feathery touch tickling against his palm.

"Where fears and lies melt away," he murmured, a laugh catching in his throat. His throat felt like it was on fire as tears began to slip out of his eyes against his will. A sob hitched in his chest and he forced it back in fear of waking the blonde next to him. Yet the minute movement caused the teen to stir. Roxas peeled himself away from Axel's chest and cracked open his eyes. He blinked in the dimly lit room, sunlight trickling in through the blinds of the window.

"Axel? What's wrong?" Roxas asked, noting the red head's tears. Axel rubbed away the water from his face with his hands. "Ax? Hey, what's wrong?" Roxas pressed, poking the red head's stomach. Seeing Axel upset unnerved him, especially when he just woke up. The elder rolled onto his back and kept his face covered with his hands, choosing silence as his response. Roxas frowned. He sat up, climbed over the red head and sat on his hips. "Come on, Axel, this isn't funny. Tell me what's wrong." When Axel didn't say anything, Roxas tried to pry the man's hands away from his face. He didn't get much success but he managed to unearth the man's chin.

Roxas wasn't sure when he abandoned logic for his hormones locked away in the back of his brain but he was sure it was sometime between when he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Axel's lower lip. When he realized what he was doing, he recoiled back, clamping his hands over his mouth. His wide eyes watched as Axel slowly pulled his hands away from his face, an unwanted amount of blush dusting his face. Axel blinked his red rimmed eyes, his expression unreadable.

"I-I'm sorry," Roxas stammered under his hands. "Shit, I'm so sorry…" Roxas felt his heart skip a beat. Axel had smirked. In fact, he was laughing. Roxas started to seriously consider the red head was mentally impaired when Axel rubbed the last of his tears from his face.

"You said that back then too," Axel murmured. The thrumming in Roxas's chest doubled and began pounding in his ears. Axel sat up so his face was inches from the blonde's, a smile spreading over his face. Roxas's face turned a darker shade of fuchsia. "Can I tell you something?" The teen gave a small nod. "The night Saïx died, while we were drinking, I sort of came out to him. I was drunk of course and he didn't reciprocate the feelings. You know what he told me? 'You'll find him someday.' I laughed in his face, of course." Axel pulled Roxas's hands away from his face, intertwining their fingers so their palms pressed together. "Then you just appear the shit out of nowhere." Roxas burst out laughing, remembering the day as well. "What's so funny about that?" Axel demanded.

"All I said was how quiet it would be around school without you," Roxas reminded.

"That's not all you said," Axel corrected.

The blonde's brows pressed together, his features shifting into perplexity. "It wasn't?" Axel shook his head. "What did I say?"

"I told you everyone would eventually forget all about me."

"But that's not true!" Roxas shot back. Axel's smirk said it all. Roxas blinked, the memory playing out further in his mind. He chuckled. "I wouldn't be able to forget you. But we did forget each other."

"Who cares? At that time, it felt like you were the only one still cheering for me in a silent stadium of fans that had abandoned their idol. You made me feel like a million bucks," Axel argued. He rested his forehead against the blonde's, a smiling flickering on his lips. "You still do."

"Would you care lending me some of that cash?" Roxas joked. They both burst out laughing, Roxas laughing so hard he tipped off of Axel's lap. The red head used the momentum to land on top, their intertwined hands falling on either side of the teen's face. Then Axel leaned down and their lips met, both of their insides squirming and sighing at the same time. When the broke apart, both of them had breathy giggles lingering on their lips. Axel was privileged to see Roxas's bright smile once more and it warmed his heart. He rested his forehead against the teen's, his fingers slipping out from their clasped nest to tangle themselves into feathery blonde locks. He felt Roxas's arms snake around his neck and pull him back.

When they broke apart, they were breathless and their cheeks were tinted pink. Axel smirked and Roxas raised a bemused eyebrow. "You want to know something funny?" he asked.

"Sure," Roxas replied.

"Saïx was right. I think I've found him."

Roxas scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You're such a nerd." Axel was about to protest when Roxas took one of his hands in his own and pressed it against the side of his face. The blonde nuzzled his palm. "I like you, Axel," Roxas murmured. The red head dipped down and planted a kiss along the blonde's neck. Roxas gave a hum of approval as a warm sensation washed over him. A small gasp escaped his lips as Axel nibbled at his earlobe. He felt the grin spread across the red head's lips against his skin.

"I like you too," Axel whispered. Then he took Roxas into another deep kiss.

"Don't ruin your appetite on Roxas now." Axel shot up in surprise at the same time as Roxas. Marluxia stood smirking in the doorway of the room, his arms crossed over his chest. Roxas turned his face away as it was growing redder by the second. Axel scratched the back of his head with a nervous chuckle, his eyes flicking to the ceiling.

"Oh, hey Marluxia. When did you get there…exactly…?" Axel asked.

"About a minute ago. I couldn't break up your big moment but I figured you both would want some real food before devouring each other's faces," Marluxia replied. "Can I expect you downstairs in the next few minutes?"

"Yeah, we'll be down in a minute," Axel agreed. The pink haired man rolled his eyes and gave the pair a wave before departing to the lower floors. Axel let Roxas scoot out of the bed first while he cracked open the blinds on his window, finding a frosty world beyond the glass. He felt a pair of arms wrap around his neck and a bony chin nestle into his shoulder. "What's up, kitten?"

"So are we a thing now?" Roxas asked, staring out of the window.

"Do you want to be?" Axel asked.

"I'd like to be. If you don't mind that is."

The red head chuckled and turned his head to plant a kiss on Roxas's cheek. "Our special secret, okay?" Roxas nodded with a smile. "Marluxia's going to give us shit, though."

"We can worry about that later," Roxas decided. He slipped away from Axel and scrounged up one of the red head's sweatshirts from his closet. Axel raised an eyebrow as he watched the blonde stride across the room towards the open doorway. "You coming?" Axel slid out of bed and walked over to the blonde. He intertwined a pair of their hands together before they headed for the stairs, the smells of Christmas morning greeting their senses.

XxXxX

Normally Roxas wasn't a fan of Christmas. In fact, he opted to reach that statement to cover all holidays within it except Christmas was special due to the overabundance of consumerism. One could ignore Thanksgiving if they wanted to but if you didn't see Christmas plastered all over a story come November first it was considered an insult. It made him want to puke seeing the exact same decorations for over a month straight with fake smiles plastered on people's faces when they were clearly stressed or miserable. This was his first Christmas away from home, meaning there was no family around to ruin the day for him. When he descended the stairs with Axel, it made him wonder if all his past Christmas's were merely illusions. He hadn't crawled out of bed feeling so blissful and calm on the Yuletide holiday in years.

As the pair entered the main floor, they found the island already littered with stacks of food. Demyx and Zexion busied themselves with the last of their work, a two hour ordeal Roxas later found out, while Marluxia sipped at a cup of coffee on one of the bar stools. Roxas slipped into a seat next to the pink haired man and suppressed a yawn while Axel shoved a pilfered strawberry into his mouth. The teen scanned the contents of the food sitting before him: pancakes shaped like snowmen and conifers, bacon, three styles of eggs, sausage links, a mountain of toast with jam, and popovers sitting on top of the stove while a homemade honey butter sat nearby. Zexion was putting his finishing touches on another plate of fruit while Demyx stacks muffins in a tower. The baked goods were hued green with specks of cranberries dotting red like holly berries and smelled of almond and orange.

"I was starting to wonder if you two would ever going to get up," Demyx commented as Axel slipped into a seat. Roxas snared a slice of bacon and began munching on it, his feet swinging beneath him. Axel stole another strawberry from Zexion's plate, earning a slap on the wrist from the silver haired man, before stealing a muffin from Demyx. "Hey!" the dirty blonde protested, snatching the muffin back. "Don't wreck my muffin tree!"

"Can't we just eat already? I'm staring!" Axel whined. He popped the strawberry into his mouth and chewed with the speed of an old lady in a walker going uphill.

"Patience, Axel," Zexion scolded. The red head grumbled and plopped his chin into his arms folded upon the counter top. "Roxas, could you pull the juice and bowls from the fridge for me?"

"Oh, sure," the blonde replied. He popped the rest of the bacon in his mouth and slipped around to the other side of the counter. He pulled out two kinds of juice as well as a parfait bowl and a bowl that smelt of a mixture of spices. When he gave it a hesitant taste, he found it to be sweet and fluffy.

"Roxas!" Demyx protested, shooting the teen a disapproving frown. "Wait until we're ready." Roxas set the bowls on the counter next to the rest of the food but not before stealing another finger full of the fluffy, sweet mix.

Not long after, the cooking pair declared breakfast was ready and everyone dove in with heaping plates. Demyx had Christmas music playing while they ate twice their fill of the delicious food. Between rounds, they sipped on juice, hot chocolate spiced with peppermint, eggnog topped with whipped cream, or Demyx's mysterious sweet and spiced mix. He called it 'Tom and Jerrys' and he put it on coffee while Zexion preferred his on tea. Roxas just liked eating the egg foam out of the bowl.

To shake off the oncoming food coma, they bundled up in their winter gear and ventured to the park close by. They played ultimate Frisbee when they weren't shoving snow down each other's coats or making snow angels on the ground to catch their breath. By they returned to the townhouse for lunch, they were chilled, exhausted and grinning ear to ear. They took turn warming up in the showers while Marluxia made them a light lunch of cucumber and chicken salad sandwiches with hot apple cider. Afterwards, the kitchen turned into a winter wonderland of sorts as flour and sugar were sprayed everywhere from the process of the group attempting to make cookies.

It quickly turned into a contest with money on the table on who could decorate the cookies the best. Roxas felt like his were simple but elegant, however nothing could touch Marluxia's sugary pieces of art. Demyx and Axel grumbled as they handed over their cash and shoved cookies into their mouths to empty the void left in their pockets.

While they indulged in cookies, Roxas excused himself to take a phone call from home. His father spoke only a few sentences and his mother refused to speak on the line, which was fine with the blonde. The call was mostly for his siblings, who were missing their brother terribly. They promised to send Roxas the gifts they got them in the mail, which made the teen realize he had forgotten to get his siblings anything for Christmas. He promised to do the same while making a mental note to go shopping the second the stores opened after the holidays.

When he returned to the living room from his call, he found the group exchanging gifts. Zexion had a stack of Manga next to him while Demyx drooled over some new CD's. Marluxia pushed aside his newly acquired art supplies to offer Roxas a small, square box. Roxas accepted it, turning the box over in his hands.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Open and find out," Marluxia taunted. The blonde frowned but did as he was told. Pushing aside the paper he found a new dog collar. The sturdy fabric was a rich, red color while small, silver spikes poked out every inch. Roxas put it on, as his other collars were all back in his room, and adjusted it to fit his neck. He found it was rather comfortable. Almost as comfortable as his favorite dog collar. Almost.

After gifts, the group grabbed plates of cookies and mugs of warm beverages before descending into the basement. They started a double feature to waste away their afternoon, although it ended up being more of an excuse to take a nap. Zexion ended up dozing against Demyx's side while Roxas nodded off out halfway through the first movie. Axel had to catch him so he didn't spill cider all over the couch and floor before he settled the blonde's head on his thighs. Marluxia fell asleep eating a cookie but woke himself up as Demyx changed movies.

"Welcome back," Axel greeted as Marluxia brushed the crumbs off of his shirt.

"Not my most flattering moment," Marluxia commented, "but I will say it was nice after spending half of the night worried my roommates would jump off of a bridge." Axel scratched the back of his head and gave his friend a sheepish smile. Zexion pushed himself up from where he had plopped down on the couch and rubbed his tired face. Demyx continued to shuffle through the movies to find that would keep them awake. He found one with some action and explosions, deeming it "alarm clock" worthy, and plugged it into the DVD player. Then he reclaimed his spot on the couch next to Zexion, who was peeling off the hair that had been compressed into his face.

"So…what was up with you two this morning?" Demyx asked as the movie started playing.

"Who, me?" Axel asked, trying to feign ignorance.

"No, the other red head," Zexion replied. He deemed his hair unstuck and sat back in his seat, Demyx wrapping an arm around his thin shoulders.

"Unless Roxas suddenly went blind last night, you guys seemed awfully chummy this morning," Demyx noted, referring to when they had been holding hands upon entering the first floor. Axel shrugged, sipping his egg nog. Demyx's eyes narrowed. "Hold on, you didn't…"

"I didn't…" Axel rebutted.

"He didn't," Marluxia clarified, cutting off his roommate before speculations rose.

Demyx narrowed his eyes further at the red head as he chewed on his bottom lip. "I don't know. You too are being too snuggly," he noted.

"Not to mention we could hear you laughing all the way downstairs," Zexion added.

"We were just talking," Axel muttered into his cup.

Zexion clicked his tongue. "It's no use lying. Marluxia?"

"I'm staying out of this," the pink haired man stated, his eyes trained on the movie.

"Okay, you need to spill before I explode from curiosity over here," Demyx demanded. "Are you and Roxas a thing? Or were you just being snuggly this morning?" Axel pretended to sip from his cup. "Axel!"

"Okay, fine. Yeah, we're couple now, I guess," Axel said, caving in. "But this stays in this room, okay? I don't want Roxas getting any extra crap. I mean the kid just tried jumping off a bridge last night."

"Don't worry. You two will be just fine and if he has any problems, he can always come talk to me," Zexion offered. "My door is always open. Well, almost always." He and Demyx burst into snickers while Axel and Marluxia rolled their eyes in sync.

"So how far did you guys go?" Demyx asked, tearing into another cookie from their dwindling stock.

"It's not that big of a deal. We just, you know, made out a little," Axel muttered.

Marluxia snorted. "More like you had Roxas for a pre-breakfast appetizer," he commented. Demyx and Zexion exchanged devious looks while Axel threw a cookie at his roommate. Marluxia leaned out of the way and sat back, sipping his coffee just to get on the red head's nerves.

"How much can we pay you to spy on them?" Demyx asked.

"Hell, no! You two are not spying on me. Keep your kinky to the sex dungeon," Axel protested.

"He's just teasing," Zexion defended, although the snickers the pair shared afterwards told Axel the request was anything but a teasing gesture.

Axel returned his attention to the movie while Zexion and Demyx exchanged whispers throughout, their eyes flickering to the red head with the teen sleeping on his lap between bouts of gossiping. They quieted down near the end of the film, much to Axel's relief. Marluxia dozed off again mid-film but managed to jerk himself awake before he spilled his beverages all over his pants. As the movie played, Axel found himself wanting to fiddle with Roxas's sleeping body. He mostly just ran his fingers through the blonde's damp locks but he found himself rubbing the blonde's shoulders on a few occasions.

The movie finished off its climax and coasted into its short resolve. Roxas finally woke up, who had not so much as twitching during the gun fire or explosions, and groaned. He cracked open his bleary eyes and sat up on his knees. He ignored the comments the elders made upon his waking and squinted at the TV in attempts to figure out what they were watching. As the scene turned towards the sunset, he frowned.

"Did I miss the movie?" Roxas asked.

"Movies," Demyx clarified as the screen changed to the credits.

"Oh." Roxas leaned against Axel's side and rested his head on the man's bony shoulder. "Sorry I fell asleep," he mumbled.

"You weren't the only one," Marluxia commented, stretching his arms above his head. "You ready for some more food?"

Roxas's stomach did a flip. If he ate another bite he felt like he would drop through the floor. "How can there be more food?" he whined. Marluxia chuckled, rising from his seat.

"Axel was supposed to be making fondue for supper but he looks dead on his feet so I might fill in for him. It won't be ready for a couple of hours so you'll have some more time to digest," the pink haired man reassured him. Roxas didn't feel reassured in the slightest.

"I don't know, I think he'd rather eat Axel," Demyx teased. Roxas sat upright, his face flushing as he scooted a couple of inches away from the red head.

"N-no! Why would you say that?" Roxas stammered. He looked to Axel, who in turned stared at the ceiling to avoid the blonde's desperate gaze. "You told them?!"

"More like pried the information out of him," Marluxia clarified.

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Roxas shot back.

"Oh, it's fine," Zexion assured him. "Trust me, we would be the last people to go around parading you two are dating." Roxas frowned, his eyes flickering between Zexion and Demyx. He noticed their position and the gears started clicking in his head.

"Wait, you two are dating?" he pressed. Demyx broke into hysterics while Zexion tried to suppress his own laughter. Roxas's face turned a slightly darker shade of red. How had he not noticed before? They were always together, not to mention some of their gestures towards each other were just a bit too personal. Roxas fidgeted in his seat as the couple's laughter died down, Demyx wiping the water from his eyes. "So how long have you been dating then?" Roxas asked.

"Almost two years," Zexion replied. He rose from his seat and brushed the crumbs from his pants before flashing the teen a smile. "Feel free to come talk to us."

"Nah, he's going to be having too much fun with Ax to mingle with us," Demyx teased, rising from the couch. Zexion shook his head with an amused snort before escorting his boyfriend upstairs. Marluxia followed the pair with a yawn, leaving the pair on the couch alone. Roxas took it upon himself to clean up the scattered cookies and turn off the movie. Axel watched the blonde with an expression Roxas couldn't read but if he had to pick one he would have said calculating or predatory. It didn't help his green eyes reminded him of a cat.

When he deemed the room tidy enough, he paused. His eyes flicked between the spot next to Axel on the couch and the stack of dirty dishes waiting to be brought upstairs. His teeth began to gnaw at his lower lip, his old habit resurfacing. He felt his body flinch when Axel sighed and rose to his feet. Turning his gaze to the floor, he felt like he made the wrong choice. Yet he was surprised when he felt Axel's arms wrap around him, pulling his body into the man's chest.

"What's wrong?" Axel asked. His long fingers trailed up and down Roxas's spine, giving the blonde the shivers. Roxas opened his mouth to speak only to find he couldn't. He pressed his face into Axel's shirt and felt the tears start to well up in his eyes.

"I don't know if I can do this," Roxas squeaked, his fingers curling into the fabric of Axel's shirt.

"Shh. Yes you can. It's not going to go away in a day," Axel cooed. "Just let it out. You'll feel better. I know I did."

Roxas sniffed, his shoulders jerking with the effort. Then he let himself break down. He didn't know how long he cried or screamed into Axel's shirt, but when he felt the built up pressure inside of him begin to release, he felt like he had dragged his face across the pavement. Axel used his soiled shirt to wipe away the remaining traces of tears, mucous and saliva staining the teen's face. Then he placed a kiss on Roxas's forehead, a stray tear leaking from his cerulean orbs.

Roxas felt his chin being lifted and he looked into the man's warm gaze, his smile melting away the frost threatening to consume him. Axel's thumb swiped away the stray tear. "You're so cute when you blush," the man murmured. The flush on Roxas's face darkened but he didn't have long to think about it before his mind turned to jelly. He didn't care how many times Axel kissed him, it always made him want to melt into the carpet. His fingers began to stiffly uncurl from Axel's shirt and slipped upwards around the man's neck to deepen the touch. When their lips parted, Axel's breathy chuckle brushed against his lips.

"What?" Roxas pressed.

"Shorty," Axel teased. Roxas realized he was standing on his toes and slid his feet back to the carpet.

"It's not my fault you're so damn tall," Roxas shot back. Axel chuckled and ushered Roxas over to the couch. The red head sat down and was surprised when Roxas plopped his butt on his lap, the blonde curling up against him like a kitten.

"Well, since Marluxia was kind enough to cook for me, it looks like we have some time to ourselves. What do you want to talk about?" Axel asked.

"Anything but school," Roxas replied, cringing at the thought of half his precious scholarship washing down the drain.

"Alright. Then tell me about Christmas at your house," Axel requested.

"Before or after my life turned to shit?" Roxas asked. Axel replied with either so Roxas thought he'd start somewhere in the beginning. "I really only liked Christmas when I was a kid. I was an only child for a few years and I loved getting all the presents. After my siblings were born, it seemed like all of the fun and magic of it sort of turned grey. Christmas turned into this blah holiday for me. Although, for the record, this was probably my favorite Christmas of all time."

Axel chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that. So what of these siblings of yours? You never talk about your parents but I can kind of see why."

"I think my mom just hates me. My dad wants to help but he's traveling for work half of the time and the other half he's sneaking me money so mom won't find out," Roxas mused. "As for siblings, I have a younger brother and sister. Naminé started high school this year and she was super nervous when I left for college. She's a big art nerd. I think she and Marluxia would get along well. They both have this deviousness to them that somehow swindles me into doing things I'd rather not do."

"I'll have to meet her someday. I'm sure she'll tell me all sorts of secrets if I ask," Axel commented.

"Oh, I'm sure." Roxas pulled out his phone and flipped through some of the photos until he found one from a year ago. The younger blonde glared at the screen while another pair of blondes flashed bright smiles. On the right was Naminé holding up a new water colors set while a tyke gave a grin filled with holes while holding up a wooden sword. "That's Ventus," Roxas pointed out. "He's seven. Oh, shit…no he's eight. Fuck, I forgot his birthday."

"He looks just like you," Axel noticed, seeing the same windblown blonde hair on Ventus.

"Yeah he's like my clone, only happier. Good God, if you ever give him caffeine he starts bouncing on the walls."

"So how old is Naminé?" Axel queried. "I have a sister too, except she's eight years older than me."

"Nam's fourteen. Fifteen this spring. And since when did you have a sister?" Roxas pressed.

"She's my half-sister, actually. My dad got remarried when I was in middle school." Axel dug around in his pocket and pulled out his phone, showing Roxas a picture of the red head with a black haired woman wearing a shirt with a square root of negative one on the front. "That's Xion. She's in Germany right now teaching English but she travels all over the world teaching English to high school and college students. I think she's going to China or something come this summer."

"She makes you look like a kid," Roxas joked, noting how young Axel looked in the picture.

"I was a kid then! I think I was sixteen when this was taken. At least now I look like an adult," Axel quipped.

Roxas scowled. "I'm nineteen, I'll have you know."

"Ooh, watch out. We got a real mature one here." Roxas gave the man a shove and they both broke out into chuckles. "Don't worry, you'll catch up soon enough. When's your birthday?" Axel asked.

"May."

Axel clicked his tongue, shaking his head in disapproval. "You'll never catch up to me like that. See, my birthday's in April."

"Show off," Roxas grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So what do you want to do for your birthday?" Roxas was taken aback by the question. Weren't they still celebrating Christmas?

"That's five months away," the teen rebutted.

"I have to make plans ahead of time," Axel defended.

"For what? What could possibly take five months to plan out?" Roxas asked. He suddenly wished he had kept his mouth shut as Axel leaned in close to his ear, the red head's tongue licking the outer shell.

"Why? Doesn't Roxy want a little birthday sex?" Axel asked in a husky voice. It sent chills up and down the teen's spine while his face flushed to a whole new shade of crimson. He attempted to stammer a reply while Axel continued to nibble on his ear. The man's lips trailed down to the side of his neck where they brushed over his sensitive skin. Roxas gasped as Axel's teeth scraped over a nerve, his eyes melting closed as his insides turned to goo. "You're so easy to please," Axel noticed. "What happens to all of those defenses you hold up the rest of the time?"

Roxas found it impossible to answer as Axel's hand slid under his shirt and his fingers began to gently brush over his skin, adding extra layers to his goosebumps. He felt a bit ashamed how easily he had fell victim to his own guilty pleasures but the sensations sparking in his brain almost made him collapse on the couch then and there. Screw waiting for his birthday. Axel placed a kiss under his jaw and chuckled, letting the blonde stupor in his squirmy mess.

"So I have a proposition for you," Axel said, drawing a circle around Roxas's belly button.

"Uh huh," Roxas managed to get out of his throat. His body felt so tingly it was like being at a massage only the masseuse was making sex eyes at him.

"How would you like to come live here with us?" Axel asked.

It took a moment for Roxas's brain to register the question. He cracked open his eyes and found Axel's face to be a bit more serious. Roxas pushed aside the fuzz covering his thoughts in order to make a coherent reply. "I can't say here. Freshmen are required to live in the dorms the first year," he reminded, feeling a bit deflated himself.

"I meant for next year," the elder clarified. "Lexaeus is going to a big medical school out east and Terra's graduating so we have some spaces to fill. Riku already invited Sora to come stay so I'm offering the second position to you."

"I'll take it!" Roxas exclaimed. Axel raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn't think Roxas would have agreed so fast. The blonde realized he had rushed his response and averted his gaze, his fingers fiddling with the strings on his sweatshirt. "I like it here and I want to be here with you."

"It won't be all sunshine and rainbows here. Marluxia isn't graduating until next spring so for the first year you'll have to room with someone else. Seifer doesn't get along with Riku so that leaves you or Sora to room with him," Axel warned.

"I can do it. Seifer's not so bad and I don't think Sora would like living with him. He should be able to room with his friend since the space is open. Plus if Seifer ever gets on my nerves I can always just leave the room or come upstairs and hang with you," Roxas stated.

"Is that all you want to do, Roxy?" Axel purred, nibbling on the blonde's ear again. Roxas wished he would stop shivering at every touch. Either that or the basement was drafty. As much as he wanted it to be the second, he knew it was the first.

Not to be teased the entire time, Roxas turned the red head's focus away from his lobe and towards his lips. His tongue swiped over Axel's lower lip, tasting the remnants of sugar left behind. He panicked for a second as he felt himself falling backwards and found his heart hammering in his chest as Axel managed to worm his way on top and pin his hands on either side of Roxas's head. Had he been paying the least bit of attention, he would have noticed the trio of onlookers squatting on the stairs peering through the railing.

"Good frights. He really does eat Roxas," Zexion whispered. "When did he get so antsy?"

"He probably bottled it up for years," Demyx guessed. He was tempted to film the pair on the couple on his phone but Marluxia's glare told him otherwise.

"Poor Roxas. He's just a hot mess right now," Zexion commented, folding his arms over his knees.

"Just like you were," Demyx breathed in his boyfriend's ear, the silver haired man's face turning a bright shade of pink. "Don't worry. They haven't gotten kinky yet." Demyx held back a snicker as he leaned over to Marluxia. "You had better watch out or your room will turn into the next sex dungeon."

"Like yours isn't?" Marluxia hissed. Demyx grinned while Zexion merely shrugged. "Can't we just let them have a moment?"

"Dude, we have to witness this," Demyx complained. "Tender hearts in the prime of their youthful love…!"

"Keep your voice down," Zexion shushed, slapping a hand over his boyfriend's mouth. He waited a moment for the pair to react but it seems as though Roxas and Axel failed to hear the musician.

"Alright, we're done here," Marluxia decided. He grabbed the pair of juniors by the collars of their shirts and dragged them back upstairs to help him prep supper. Demyx and Zexion shared pouting expressions but did as the elder ordered.

Down on the couch, Axel was having fun with teasing Roxas by trailing his lips all over the teen's neck. It was all Roxas could do to lie there and tell his lungs to keep breathing. He knew if it continued much longer he would have to bail to find a bathroom. Fighting against his own endorphins was proving far harder a challenge than he imagined. He moaned as Axel sucked gently on the nerve by his throat. Roxas tangled his fingers tighter in Axel's hair to keep his hands from touching himself or accidently cross over a boundary Axel wasn't ready to have breached yet. He began to relax as Axel placed a kiss under his jaw and let him have a moment to breath. The gentle sensation of fingertips brushing over his chest made him shiver, feeling the outline of his scar being traced.

"Did it hurt?" Axel asked. Roxas looked up at the red head's face to find it was shrouded in sadness. His own disposition changed with the alteration in mood, the warmth encompassing his body slipping away to a cold echo.

"Yes," Roxas breathed.

"Does it still hurt?" Axel pressed.

Roxas untangled his fingers and placed them over Axel's hand. "Sometimes," he murmured. "It's mostly just when I'm stressed or working out too hard. I did graze my heart, you know." Axel hummed under his breath, knowing all too well. "What about you?" Roxas lifted one of his hands and trailed his fingers down the red head's spine. "Does it hurt at all?"

"Sometimes," Axel replied, earning a flash of a smile from the blonde. "If I sit for a long time or sit in a weird position I have to take a couple pills to loosen me back up. I swear I feel like an old man some days."

"Maybe we are just a couple of old farts," Roxas mused. Axel chuckled but it turned into a yawn, his eyes watering at the effort. He settled down on top of the blonde, pinning Roxas to the couch with his body weight. Axel snuggled his face against the smaller male's shoulder before he let his breathing even out. Roxas wrapped his arms around Axel's back and held him. The man was like a warm, weighted blanket. For the moment, they simply lied there and listened to each other's breathing. Axel found himself dozing as Roxas's fingers trailed up and down his spine.

"Hey," Axel called out, his voice a bit slurred from sleep. "Marluxia has a tripped planned out for us tomorrow. We're going off campus to a hotel with a water park since he couldn't make it home this year. We only have two rooms but Marluxia already said it was okay if you tagged along."

"I don't know. Sharing a bed is a big commitment," Roxas stated. He felt Axel smile into his shoulder. "We'll just have to stop by my dorm so I can pack."

"That shouldn't be a problem." Axel inhaled deeply and released a content sigh.

"You can't possibly be comfortable sitting on top of me," Roxas commented.

"Sure I can," Axel rebutted. "It's like hugging an anorexic teddy bear." Axel waited for Roxas to make a statement defending himself except it never came. He pushed himself back up to his hands and knees to see the blonde's face dejected, his eyes clouded in shame. "Roxas, did you stop eating again?"

"Hayner, Pence and Olette really tried," Roxas said, his voice cracking.

"How much did you lose?"

There was a long pause as Roxas shifted his gaze away from Axel's staring. "Eight," Roxas admitted in a hushed tone. "I lost eight."

"Didn't you go to your appointments?" Axel questioned. The blonde shook his head. Axel brushed a hand over Roxas's hair. "Hey, it's okay. We'll get you back on track again. Between Zexion and I, I think we'll have you covered for getting enough to eat this holiday break."

"But…"

"You didn't fail," Axel assured him. Roxas looked up into Axel's green gaze. Seeing the man's warm smile was enough to put some of his frayed nerves at ease. "We're here for you, Roxas. Now show me that beautiful smile of yours." The teen's lips twitched, a faint upward curve pressing against his cheeks. "You can do better than that."

Roxas shifted his hands so they were curled up in front of him like paws and he tilted his head to the side. He forced a sad smile onto his face. "Nyan?" he mewed.

Axel smirked and pressed a kiss to Roxas's lips. "That's my kitten."

XxXxX

As the night sky set in, the boys gathered outside to watch the sky sparkle over their heads. The moon shone its radiant light down upon the spectators, making the snow on the ground sparkle like a million grains of glitter. Their breath rolled out in wisps from their lips and floated upwards to the heavens. Sitting on curb, the group smiled up at the sky above them. Zexion leaned into Demyx's side while Marluxia sat chewing on his usual strawberry Pocky. Axel wrapped his arms tighter around Roxas's waist, the blonde grateful for the shared body head.

"Merry Christmas, everyone," Marluxia murmured, watching as a pair of stars streaked across the sky together.

Axel rested his chin on Roxas's shoulder, his warm breath brushing against the teen's neck. "Merry Christmas, Roxas," he whispered.

"Merry Christmas, Axel," Roxas replied. He leaned his head against the elders and let the silence envelope him like the warmth he felt surrounding his heart.


	8. 8-Does it, you know, hurt?

**A/N-Hello my wonderful people! Another update for you all to enjoy. :) I'm in the middle of moving right now so I'm not doing any writing (but I have some YFM: Re chapters in stock so I'll still be on my 2 week upload schedule). If all goes well, I should be back into my writing by Tuesday. *Fingers crossed* Read and enjoy my lovely readers!**

Come Christmas morning, everyone had slept in past ten to recover from their food coma the previous day. They had a light brunch of coffee and left over muffins before they began gathering their bags for the trip off of campus. It was just an overnight stay but Roxas was surprised how much luggage the four elder men produced. They managed to squeeze it all into Axel's car before they ventured over to Roxas's dorm. Demyx demanded he saw Roxas's room so the entire crew ventured up to the vacant room to watch Roxas pack. Axel sprawled out on Pence's bunk while Demyx and Zexion examined the myriad of posters on the wall. Marluxia studied the teen's wardrobe as Roxas stuffed some clothes into his backpack and pulled out a clean set for him to wear for the day. He had borrowed clothes from Zexion over Christmas Eve and, while he was grateful, it wasn't exactly his style.

After speed changing in the bathrooms, he finished off his packing and the group headed back to the car. Demyx struck up a conversation with his fellow blonde about their shared music interests and it was agreed upon they would exchange music sometime over the break. The pair debated on which group was the best in terms of music quality when they reached the car and piled inside. Marluxia sipped his thermos of coffee while Zexion pulled out a book as they anticipated the drive. Eventually, Demyx and Roxas both exchanged iPods and fell silent, leaving Axel to converse quietly with his roommate for the three hour trip.

When they pulled up to the hotel Roxas craned his neck to peer out the window, as he was stuck in the middle seat, and gaped at the large building they pulled up to. The parking lot was packed with cars and several groups of people were milling about outside either carrying presents or bags to bring into their room. Axel dropped them off at the door with the bags while he went in search of a parking spot. Roxas carried the red head's bag along with his own backpack over to the front desk. Demyx and Zexion had started talking in hushed tones, which had the teen worried on multiple fronts. Whenever he or Axel were present in the room with the couple, they would start whispering back in forth like a pair of gossiping old ladies. Occasionally they would giggle or smirk, flashing all-knowing smiles in Roxas or Axel's direction. Roxas could only wonder what they had on their minds as Demyx flashed him a wink when he glanced over at the pair hanging farther back in the lobby.

With their check-in complete, they waited for Axel to join them before they ventured up to their rooms on the eighth floor. They dumped their bags onto their beds before changing into swimsuits and t-shirts. Marluxia had gotten them all day passes to the waterpark attached to the hotel, which Demyx could hardly contain his excitement for. The group strapped the uncomfortable plastic bands around their wrists, which Roxas always wanted to chew off even as a kid, before heading back downstairs to join the crowds of people already in the park. It almost felt like a penguin exhibit for humans, although Roxas felt more like a walrus when people started glancing his way. He was thankful his friends would flash him reassuring smiles and even more grateful when Axel didn't leave his side as they found a table to dispose of their shirts and complimentary towels on.

Roxas hesitated as he watched the others pull off their shirts. He knew the stares would only worsen as soon as the fabric was removed yet he was relieved when he noticed Axel pausing as well. His eyes flickered down to the man's black suit with flames licking the bottom edges of the legs. It just looked so…Axel. Roxas glanced down at his black and white checkered suit and wondered if he shouldn't have grabbed a different one. He stood out more than Demyx's light blue or Zexion's dark grey, however it didn't quite reach Marluxia's level of flashy. The pink haired man wore white trunks with sakura blossoms scattered over the fabric, as if the pedals were blowing in the wind. If Roxas hadn't met Marluxia before, he would have laughed in his face.

"Are you two done stalling?" Marluxia spoke up. Roxas averted his gaze as the pink haired man caught him standing around while Axel pulled his hair back with an elastic band as slowly as he could.

"Yeah! We're missing out on all the fun," Demyx chimed in.

"I wouldn't want people to get freaked out," Axel attempted to argue. However, it appeared the other three weren't going to take no as an answer. Marluxia put his hands on his hips while Zexion shook his head.

"It won't do to get your shirts wet. The chemicals will ruin the fabric," the silver haired man rationalized. "Besides, they'll be plenty distracted by Demyx." Roxas was about to ask when he finally took notice of the dirty blonde's abdomen. His navel was pierced with a large, intricate stud made from rich gold. Around the swirling metal was a sapphire tear drop. Roxas wondered how Demyx could wear clothes without them catching on the piercing but all he had to do was remind himself of Halloween and everything started to fall into place.

With a sigh, Axel finished tying off his hair and dragged his shirt over his head. From the front he looked almost normal with only a few smaller scars marring his pecs from where glass had scratched it. Yet the moment he turned to placed his shirt on the stable, Roxas noticed several people turn their heads. That was more than enough to persuade him to super glue his shirt to his torso. However, the glare from Marluxia was stronger than any glue he would find. So, with the feeling of throwing up welling up in his stomach, he ripped his shirt over his head and tossed it on the table.

"Dude, that's a wicked scar," Demyx gaped, peering closer to the blonde's chest. Roxas instantly pulled his arms over himself to block the view, feeling a bit like a girl caught topless. Demyx laughed at the gesture and patted the teen's head. "Don't worry about it, little man."

Roxas looked over as he felt someone bump against him, finding Axel giving him a warm smile. The teen clenched his jaw as he lowered his arms to his sides, already feeling the stares people sent his way. Thankfully, his mind was distracted by Demyx leading them over to the line of people waiting for the water slides.

"You know, we should make this fun," Demyx decided as they were waiting in line.

"How so?" Marluxia asked.

"What if we make a bet?" Zexion offered.

"I'm game," Marluxia agreed. "What shall we bet upon?"

"How about who calls quits first?" Demyx asked.

"Why don't we bet on who gets the best first reaction?" Axel brought up. "Whoever spots the person with the most "holy shit" reaction gets ice cream from the rest of us."

"At this rate, Roxas isn't going to win. He's been staring at the ground pretty much since we walked in here," Marluxia argued.

"Do we have to make bets?" Roxas asked, his voice sounding much more pathetic than he was hoping. He was all for free ice cream but when it revolved around people being terrified of him, it left a bad taste in his mouth. Axel turned his gaze to the blonde at this side. While he couldn't see the large scar running down his spine, which sent shivers down the spines of onlookers, he could tell Roxas wasn't comfortable with his own marred flesh. The teen's back was splattered with the spider web design of darkened tissues, however the front was worse. It almost looked like a video game character than had been hit in the chest with a shotgun. The darkened skin helped to highlight a large white X of scar tissues from where he had been given surgery. Roxas kept trying to cover up his chest with his arms but Marluxia would glance his way and the blonde would force his arms back to his sides.

After a long pause of silence fell over the group since Roxas had spoken, Demyx snapped his fingers. "I have a better idea!" he declared. "Who can eat the most Dip-n-Dots without getting a brain freeze?"

"I'd pay to see that happen," Zexion agreed. This helped to put Roxas at ease but it didn't eradicate the uncomfortable aura he felt from everyone else staring at him.

Much to his appreciation, he found he didn't have to think about it too long. His friends kept his mind busy between water slides, vigorous rounds of water basketball, far too many Dip-n-Dots, and various random bets the group would bring up. Most of them involved racing down the water slides, specifically what the signs said not to do, or who would be the last man standing as they performed trick shots at the hoops, to which Axel always won due to his height and long arms.

They ended up staying until the park closed before they headed back to their rooms to shower and relax. It was already after nine and most of them were starving as they ditched their wet towels and suits to find some dry clothes. Axel had caught sight of Demyx and Zexion giggling as they ducked into their room, most likely to share their shower, while the seniors agreed to let Roxas rinse off first. Marluxia didn't bother to change before handing Axel his credit card.

"What's this for?" the red head asked, taking the card.

"I have a massage scheduled, and I know you're both hungry, so go ahead and order some room service. I should be back in an hour or so," Marluxia explained.

"Do you want anything?" Axel asked, looking the card over.

"Just order whatever." Marluxia flicked his wet hair over his shoulder. "You two have fun while I'm gone, okay? I'm sure the sexual tension is killing you both…" Marluxia paused to smirk as Axel's face turned almost as red as his hair. "And I'd rather have a quiet evening when I return." Axel attempted to stammer a reply but Marluxia just gave his roommate a wave and left the room, leaving Axel to stand in the middle of the room with the sound of running water echoing in his ears.

Shaking himself out of his daze, he went over to the phone and looked over the menu. After placing an order, he heard the water shut off in the bathroom. Running a hair through his tangled locks, he frowned as it sent a wafting scent of chlorine coasting through the air around him. He gathered a clean pair of boxers and his pajama bottoms from where he had tossed them on his bed earlier. By the time he reached the bathroom, the door opened and pelted his face with steam. His eyes trailed downward and smirked at the sight of the blonde looking back at him.

"Hey," Roxas greeted.

"Well, hello there sexy," Axel greeted, pecking Roxas on the cheek. "Foods coming. I'll be out in a bit." They switched positions and Axel hopped into the shower. Roxas wandered over to the mirror and continued to towel dry his hair. His eyes trailed down to the scar on his bare chest. For once, it didn't look so bad. Almost as if the heavy exposure to chlorine had faded it somehow. He ran his towel through his hair again before tossing the wet fabric against the wall by the bathroom door.

Roxas jumped as there was a knock on the front door. He strode over and cracked the barrier to find a cart filled with food waiting for him. Mouth watering, he thanked the bellboy and hauled the cart into the room. He peered closer to the mounds of silver domes, peeking at each plate individually. Each sent wafts of wonderful scents into his nose and louder grumbles rolling through his stomach. He eventually caved under the pressure and picked out the spinach and artichoke dip that came with a mountain of chips. Fifteen chips later, he heard the water shut off in the bathroom.

With the room bathed in silence, Roxas realized Marluxia was not present in the space. He continued to munch on his chips as he mused over where the senior had disappeared to during the time he was in the shower. Wondering if the pink haired man was over in the juniors' room, he ventured over to the room across the hall, making sure to flip the piece of metal used for locking the door to ensure he could get back inside. When he knocked, there was a pause. Then the door cracked and Demyx peered out, although the fact he was very out of breath did not go unnoticed.

"Um, Marluxia in there?" Roxas asked, a small blush dusting his cheeks.

"Nah. No idea where he is," Demyx gasped. A pair of arms snaked around his chest and pulled him back into the room. Roxas frowned as the door shut in his face.

"The fuck are they doing?" the teen muttered. He realized he answered his own question and he turned about face back to his room.

On the other side of the door, Demyx was trying to protest to having been so rude to Roxas but his mouth was being smothered by his boyfriend's lips. As they broke apart, both of them gasped for air. "Damn," Demyx breathed, feeling a hot tongue trail down his throat. "What has you so worked up?"

Zexion lifted his lips to Demyx's ear, making the blonde shiver. "You have no idea how difficult it was walking around with you shirtless all day," he said in a breathy voice. His tongue licked the shell of the other man's ear. "I was ready to fuck you in the pool."

"Mmm, the poor children," Demyx teased. "Learning Sex Ed as such a young age. Wouldn't want that to happen." He captured Zexion's lips with his own, tongues fighting for dominance once more. His throat let out a pleased moan as he felt Zexion grind up against him. He ripped away from his boyfriends face and dragged the silver haired man towards his bed, both of them in giggles the entire way.

Across the hall, Axel emerged from the bathroom the same time Roxas shut the door to the hall. They stood staring at each other for a moment, Axel smirking as he spotted some chip crumbs on Roxas's shorts. The teen noticed where Axel was looking and quickly brushed off the evidence of his earlier snacking.

"Couldn't wait, huh?" Axel teased.

"Not really," Roxas replied, walking passed the red head to where his chips were waiting for him upon the bed. Axel snorted and rolled his eyes, watching as Roxas scooped up a large glob of spinach and artichoke dip. "What?" the blonde pressed, pausing as he lifted the chip to his lips.

"Ah, it's nothing," Axel replied. He wandered over to the cart and found a turkey melt to dig into, butter and cheese oozing out over his fingers.

"Where's Marluxia go?" Roxas asked between bites.

Axel took a moment to finish chewing before replying. "Out. He'll be back in an hour. Were you looking for him?"

"No, I was just wondering where he went," Roxas said, his voice trailing off as his eyes shifted towards the red head. Axel caught him staring and raised an eyebrow. The blonde licked his lips, twice actually, before he tried speaking again. Axel almost choked on his sandwich when he heard the squeak in Roxas's voice. "You want to make out?"

Axel coughed a couple of times to clear his throat. "Um, let me finish my sandwich here first," he muttered. Roxas strode over as Axel took a bite of his sandwich, his chest freezing as Roxas pushed his hand aside and chomped down on the last bite of turkey melt. Their lips brushed briefly before Roxas pulled away, chewing with a smirk on his face. Axel swallowed his bite and scowled. "You bastard. That was my sandwich!"

"Not anymore," Roxas replied, trying not to laugh as he swallowed. He didn't give Axel much time to complain as he pulled the red head's head down to have their grease stained lips meet once more. Axel stumbled back and tripped as his legs crashed into the bed behind him. He landed on his backside, giving Roxas the leverage he needed to slide up onto the other's lap.

"Um…" Axel tried to speak as his lips were devoured. He managed to get hold of Roxas's shoulders and push him back, both of them a bit short of breath. "What are you doing?"

A flash of panic crossed Roxas's face. "Shit, I'm sorry!" Roxas apologized. "I-I just…" Axel placed a finger over the blonde's rosy lips, smiling as Roxas settled down.

"You just caught me by surprise." Axel removed his finger and ran a hand through Roxas's feathery locks. "What's with the aggression all of a sudden? You were so quiet all day."

"I don't know. Just thought I'd shake things up a bit," Roxas replied with a shrug.

"Well you were coming on a bit strong. For a second I thought you were going to jump straight to sex," Axel admitted.

Roxas leaned in close to the red head's ear, his breath causing shivers down his spine. "Why? Doesn't Axel want to have a little sex on the first date?" the teen asked, his voice husky. Axel felt his face break out in a heavy blush, which only darkened when Roxas began to nibble on his ear lobe.

"I…uh…thought we might wait for that. You know, save it?" Axel replied, failing to hide the nervousness in his voice. Roxas purred in his ear and pressed a kiss under his jaw. Axel felt his brain turn to static as delicate fingers trailed down his spine, causing him to arch his back and press his neck deeper into Roxas's kiss. Soft lips trailed up his jawbone until a tongue flicked out and licked behind his ear.

Much to his embarrassment, Axel felt a small moan echo in his throat. Between the fingers trailing along his spine and the hot kisses on his neck, he was quickly crumbling at the blonde's touch. Roxas shifted his attention back to his neglected lips. It took of all of Axel's concentration to keep his arms locked behind him so he wouldn't fall backwards onto the bed. He felt fingers clasp around his chin and tug downwards, providing Roxas access to his mouth with his tongue. Roxas shifted farther up on his lap and tilted the red head's head back, having gravity work with him as he devoured his friend. Axel was so brain fried it took him several minutes for him to realize he should have been fighting back for dominance over his own mouth.

They broke apart for a moment, strings of saliva trailing between their panting mouths. Axel used the pause to shift his weight so his could slide his hands up the sides of Roxas's face. Their cheeks were dusted with magenta as they stared deep into each other's eyes, blue mixing with green. Axel pulled Roxas back down and they tipped back onto the bed. He felt Roxas's lips turn upwards into a smile as they crashed into the mattress and they soon both burst into fits of giggles. Roxas's laughter faded as he found Axel staring up at him with an expression he was unfamiliar with.

"What?" Roxas asked.

"Nothing," Axel replied, warm smile on his lips. "I just like looking at you."

"That's so corny," Roxas shot back, sitting up on Axel's hips. "I thought we were being serious here?"

"I am serious. I just like looking at you," Axel said again. Roxas hummed under his breath, his fingers running over the skin on the man's abdomen. "What's with emo Roxas all of a sudden?" Axel pressed. He slid his hands from the blonde's hips so they interlocked with the teen's fingers. There was a pause as Roxas shifted his gaze to the side.

"I guess I'm just not used to compliments," Roxas murmured.

Axel sat up and pressed a kiss to the underside of Roxas's jaw. "Get used to them, babe, 'cause I'm going to smother you with them."

"Pfft! Way to kill the mood," Roxas commented. "And don't call me babe!"

"Well, if that isn't what gets you worked up, how else should I try to seduce you?" Axel breathed into the blonde's ear. Roxas shivered, still a little annoyed with Axel's pet names. "Oh, I know how to get you worked up." Roxas yelped as Axel flipped their positions so he was pinned to the mattress. "Don't think I forgot how you couldn't keep your eyes off of me at the Halloween party." Roxas tensed as a wild blush spread across his face, turning his ears red. This only caused Axel to chuckle. "Ah, so I was right. I must have looked like a piece of manna to your little emo ego."

"N-no…" Roxas tried to protest as Axel trailed his tongue over his throat. "I…uh…fuck, I wanted to drool," he moaned as Axel shifted, their hips lightly brushing together. It was cut short as Axel stood and strode into the bathroom. Roxas sat up, concerned and confused to what was happening. He heard metal jingling followed by plastic tapping against plastic. "Axel?" he called out. His stomach dropped through the floor as Axel stepped out of the bathroom, the man leaning against the wall with a cool countenance. The man had penciled some of Marluxia's eyeliner around his eyes, making his acid green gaze all the more intense. Axel had clipped Roxas's favorite dog collar around his neck, which Roxas had left in the bathroom when he had changed into his swimsuit earlier, and the teen had to admit he looked really good in it.

"You're drooling," Axel commented. Roxas gave a start and wiped the saliva beginning to trickle out of the side of his mouth. Not wanting to be outdone, he grabbed his travel bag of bathroom gear and slipped passed Axel into the bathroom.

Axel crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the blonde to re-emerge. When the door opened, Roxas didn't step out right away. "You know how Demyx toned down his looks?" Roxas called out.

"Yeah?" Axel eyebrows shot up in surprise as Roxas stepped out of the bathroom. He wore heavy, black eyeliner around his eyes, more so than himself. In addition to his earrings, he wore his new dog collar and several bracelets on each arm. His blonde locks were spiked with gel more than his normal bed head look, making them look almost like razors. "Geez, Rox, you're practically goth," Axel commented.

Roxas wandered over to Axel and poked the dog collar on his friend's neck. "You know, I think it suits you better."

"You think?" Axel asked, his fingers reaching up to brush over the rough fabric and spikes.

"Yeah." Roxas reached up and pulled Axel down into a deep kiss. Axel whirled the blonde around so he was pinned against the wall, his hands snaking downwards to cup the blonde's ass. Roxas jumped up and wrapped his legs around Axel's waist, ignoring the jolt running down his spine as Axel pinned him farther against the wall. Their intense make out session was interrupted by Roxas's stomach releasing a loud yowl of protest. His face flushed out of embarrassment as Axel burst out laughing.

"Oh my God, that was so fucking loud!" Axel gasped between laughs.

"That's not funny!" Roxas protested as his stomach yowled again. "Shut up!" he yelled as his stomach, making Axel laugh even harder. The red head leaned in and captured Roxas's lips in a brief kiss.

"Let's get you something else to eat besides chips," Axel decided. Roxas wanted to protest but he knew Axel wouldn't let him continue until he ate something., especially since he was supposed to be gaining weight over the break. Which he was already reminded of at breakfast. Roxas let out an annoyed huff and untangled his legs from Axel's waist. He started walking over to the cart of food when Axel caught his wrist and whirled him back around, capturing his lips once more. Roxas just wanted to melt into the floor or the bed or wherever he wanted. When he was released, he felt Axel's lips brush against his ear. "Dibs on the turkey melt." Then he dashed over to the now cold sandwich and snatched it up before Roxas could even move.

"You asshole! I wanted that!" Roxas protested, both of them breaking out into laughter.

XxXxX

Marluxia released a happy sigh as he strode back to his room in a fluffy bathrobe and his flip flops, his wet suit draped over one arm. The massage felt heavenly, relieving the remainder of the pent up stress from the past couple months of school. He was famished and hoped Axel had saved some food for him. Humming to himself, he turned the corner and wondered what his roommates had been doing while he was away. As he reached the door, he sent a leery eye to the door across the hall. His shook his head to clear the perverted thoughts and rifled around for his key card. Upon opening the door, he found the TV playing on low volume while the cart of food was stacked with empty plates.

"Are you two almost…done…" Marluxia smiled and shook his head at the sight of his roommates. Both of them were fast asleep on their bed with an array of spilt chips scattered over the comforter. Axel had made a mound of pillows to use as a backrest and had fallen asleep with his head against the head board. Roxas was under one of his arms and looked just as exhausted as his new boyfriend.

Upon closer inspection, he found both of them wearing his eyeliner and their lips on the rosy side from what appeared to have been a serious make out session. Their sweat had caused the eye liner to run, making them look like a pair of punk raccoons. Both of them had several hickies on their necks and long, red marks along their sides where their nails had dug in a bit too deep. Marluxia shook his head at the state of the pair. After changing into his pajamas, he began clearing off the chips from the pair's bed so they didn't make even more of a mess when they started rolling around in their sleep. As he turned to bring the trash can back to the bathroom, he noticed a tray sitting on his bed. Curious, he lifted the dome to find a salad and a yogurt parfait. A smile bloomed onto his lips and he settled down to eat his late supper.

The next morning, Marluxia woke to find Axel and Roxas groaning. Both were sore from sleeping on top of each other the entire night and the scratches on their backs had started to sting. The trio met up with Demyx and Zexion for breakfast, both of which were sporting some serious sex hair, down in the hotel lobby. Once full, they returned to their rooms, packed up their bags, and headed for home. Demyx and Zexion slept the entire ride while Axel and Marluxia spoke in hushed tones. Roxas took the time to himself to look through his old photos still on his phone. There were some of his old friends from high school and some of his family from several years prior. He paused as he reached the end of the album, his finger pausing over the picture he had showed Pence at the beginning of the year. His teeth unconsciously started gnawing at his lower lip as he stared at his old reflection.

"Hey, Axel?" he called out.

"What's up?" the red head asked, pulled away from his conversation with Marluxia.

"Could we stop somewhere on the way home?" Roxas asked. When Axel asked where, Roxas felt a smile tempting the corners of his lips.

XxXxX

Pence hoped Roxas was in their room as he carried his heavy bags back to his dorm. He was sad the new semester was going to start soon but he was also excited to see what sorts of memories he would be making. Upon reaching his room, he was happy to find it unlocked so he wouldn't need to fish out his keep from his back pocket. As he squeezed, through the doorway, he announced his return before dumping his bags into the middle of the room.

"Welcome back." Pence looked up and nearly staggered back in surprise. Roxas sat in his chair with a smile on his face and a piercing under his lower lip.

"No way! You got it re-pierced!" Pence exclaimed. He rushed over and started examining it, finding the skin still a bit pink. "That's so cool!" Roxas chuckled and rose from his chair. He pulled Pence into a hug, his roommate returning it equally as tight. "Everything going well here?"

"Yeah." They pulled apart and Roxas grabbed his phone, showing Pence the pictures he had taken over New Years. Axel and Demyx had bought a bunch of sparklers so the group had spent the better part of four hours running around the park waving them like little kids.

"I'm glad you guys got to do something fun. You had no idea how worried I was until we started texting after Christmas," Pence stated. He went to his bags and pulled aside one of the fabric bags the bookstore used. Roxas wanted to burn those bags with every fiber of his being, the damn paopu fruit displaced on the sky blue fabric. Yet what Pence pulled out of the bag made him forgive it for just the one time. When Pence set out six boxes of Christmas cookies, Roxas wanted to hoard them all to himself. Gingerbread, sprits, Russian tea cakes, raspberry sandwiches, super cookies in a dozen of shapes, and an old family recipe for a bourbon oatmeal raisin.

"Geez, Pence, it's like you want me to get fat," Roxas commented.

"Well, I mentioned to my mom my roommate was getting skinny and she told my grandma and that's how I ended up with about ten dozen cookies to bring here. She wanted to send you a pot roast as well but I managed to sneak it back into the fridge before I left," Pence remarked. They both burst out laughing before tearing into the cookies, each sharing stories from what they did over break while Pence's bags remained unpacked in the middle of the room.

XxXxX

With the start of the new semester, campus became crowded once more as students returned to start classes for the spring. Yet despite how it was the "spring semester", Roxas felt like it was more like a "winter semester" as the snow continued to coat the campus with fluff and the cold refused to leave. The first order of business for the semester was finding a job to help him pay for tuition. It took some digging, and a bit of advice from Marluxia, before he ended up getting a job at the campus coffee shop. It didn't pay much over minimum wage but he got a free coffee once a week and the hours were flexible to his schedule so he couldn't complain. Between class, work, and homework, he was swamped. Time always seemed to get away from him and by the time he even thought about brushing his teeth at night it was already past midnight.

Thankfully, he had most of his weekends free of work so he spent his weekends over at the townhouse across campus. He found most of the group more than helpful when it came to homework. Lexaeus was a fountain of knowledge when it came to biology and Zexion was helpful when it came to tips for English classes. Axel continued to be his go to for math, which he didn't mind in the slightest as it meant he got to spend more time with his new boyfriend.

Boyfriend.

The word was a bit overwhelming at times as he had never had a boyfriend before. He had dated Aerith for a bit and he had a girlfriend before that for a couple months as well, but when it came to men he felt a bit clueless. Yet he couldn't deny he loved being with Axel more than anyone else in the world. And that made it all the more difficult as the month shifted to February. Even though the weather was as cold as ever, the hottest day of the years was approaching.

Valentine's day.

The day used to be a joke back at in high school as one of the teachers there had the last name Valentine and every year the students would do something weird in honor of the day. One year they covered the walls of his room in pink, heart shaped post it notes. Since this would be his first serious Valentine's day, Roxas was a bit overwhelmed as he had no idea what he was supposed to do. He knew people went out on dates and couples would get each other presents. He remembered Zexion making homemade chocolates one day when Demyx was out with Terra looking for new jeans but Roxas didn't have a stove. Or know how to make chocolate. Or know how to cook.

Roxas banged his head against his steering wheel as he rolled to a halt at a stop sign on his way over to the townhouse for his usual weekend visit. He knew all there was to know about how to act around girls for Valentine's day, much thanks to Hayner who gave him a crash course a couple weeks ago during dinner one night, but what could he do with Axel? Was it different with two guys? Pulling away from the stop sign, he came to the conclusion he was going to have to ask for help. It was already the third, so he still had some time, but it was running out fast. His fingers drummed on his steering wheel as he mulled over who he could ask for advice and only three people came to mind. One would most likely blab to Axel and the other Roxas was so far in debt to he didn't need another reason to add to it. That left Zexion.

He pulled up onto the street and parked, grumbling as his heavy backpack got stuck on his gear shift, and headed into the house. He found a random girl he didn't recognize in the kitchen and Riku cooking some sort of stir fry. Roxas made a mental note to ask Riku how to make stir fry for whenever the man made it the aroma was heavenly. As for the girl, she looked bored out of her mind. Roxas was about to ask when he caught Riku's gaze, the silver haired man flicking his eyes upwards.

' _Seifer. Right. He must be at work right now,'_ Roxas mused. He deposited his backpack into the living room and heard echoes of music floating from downstairs. Curious, he crept down to see what was causing it. He was greeted with laughter and some very unpolished dance moves.

"How are you beating me? I'm like the lord of the dance!" Demyx complained.

"You don't have my mad skills!" Axel replied, hip checking the dirty blonde to throw him off balance. Roxas shook his head as he watched his friends play 'Just Dance'.

"Hey guys," he greeted, a bit louder than usual so he could be heard over the music.

"Oh, hey Rox!" Axel called, giving the blonde a wave and a grin. "I'm just about to stomp Demyx here and then you can join in."

"No way, man! Maybe I've been holding back this entire time," Demyx protested.

Axel snorted. "R-i-g-h-t."

"I actually have some homework to get to. Is Zexion home? I have some questions for him," Roxas brought up.

"He's in our room. Go on in," Demyx stated. Roxas offered his thanks before heading upstairs to the top floor. As he passed through the kitchen, he noted the girl from earlier was missing and it didn't take too much imagination to guess where she had went. At the top of the stairs, he ventured over to the door on the left at the end of the hall. He rapped his knuckles on the cracked door as he stepped inside the space for the first time. The room was a mirror image of Axel's room except instead of Marluxia's projects dominating most of the space it was lined with shelves of CD cases and various book collections. Demyx had an impressive sound system tucked under his desk as well as a sitar and guitar hanging on the wall. Roxas was surprised by how tidy the entirety of the room was considering how Demyx wasn't one to keep things organized. He assumed Zexion was the culprit with keeping his boyfriend's belongings in line.

As he entered, Zexion looked up from a bean bag chair he had stuffed into a corner of the room between two large bookshelves. He marked his page and set his book aside on the floor. "How are your studies progressing?" Zexion asked as he folded his hands on his lap.

"Good. I actually had a question for you," Roxas brought up.

"Alright," Zexion replied. Roxas started chewing on his lip piercing, old habits dying hard, and tried to piece together a sentence that wouldn't have him blushing like an idiot by the time he finished saying it.

"Um, so it's about Axel," Roxas started. "You know how it's almost Valentine's day?"

Zexion chuckled. "You don't know what to do," he guessed. Roxas muttered his affirmations and Zexion tucked a loose hair behind his ear. "It's okay. I think we're all a little lost on our first Valentine's day but like all holidays they get easier with time. You should start simple, like going out on a date."

"You mean just the two of us?" Roxas asked, his ears tinting pink.

Zexion held back a snort of laugher and composed himself. "If it's any comfort, you have been out with just Axel before," he reminded.

"Yeah, for ice cream. Never like…dinner and stuff," Roxas replied, his voice trailing into a muffled mumble.

"If you want, we could do a double date. Demyx and I can tag along for dinner so you don't feel so awkward," Zexion offered.

"No, it's fine. I don't want to interrupt your plans with Demyx." Roxas shoved his hands into his pockets, his eyes scanning the lines of CD's on one of the shelves. He recognized some of the cases the dirty blonde had gotten during Christmas. "Is there someplace Axel might want to go? To be honest, I don't even know what kind of food he likes."

"That would be a question for Marluxia. He knows Axel far better than anyone else," Zexion replied.

"Gotcha. What about presents? Do I have to get him one? And what's considered too much? Does it have to be candy?" Roxas pressed. Zexion held up his hands defensively as he was bombarded with questions. Roxas muttered an apology for startling the junior, allowing the elder to return his hands to his lap.

"Demyx and I exchange gifts, mostly just sweets, but it's really up to you if you want to buy Axel a present. You may be able to bribe Marluxia into telling you more information," Zexion offered. Roxas's teeth started to chew on his lip piercing again, his eyes shifting to the floor as a rosy tint spread across his cheeks. Zexion stood and strode over to the blonde, putting a hand on his shoulder as he peered at the younger man's face. "Roxas?"

"Um…" Roxas stammered. "Does it, you know, hurt?" Roxas asked, his face turning a few shades redder. "Is it weird?" Zexion blinked, the questions registering in his head. He quickly went to the door and shoved it closed, locking it so no one entered. Then he grabbed Roxas by the hand and led him over to his bed, sitting the blonde down.

"Is that something you want to do?" Zexion asked in a hushed tone. "If you're being pressured…"

"N-no! I mean, no I sort of want it. I-I'm not all that sure, to be honest." Roxas let out a nervous laugh, one of his hands running through his golden locks. "God, this is embarrassing." Zexion gave his other hand a reassuring squeeze.

"It's okay. Take your time."

Roxas forced himself to raise his eyes to meet Zexion's motherly gaze. It helped to put him at ease, although he could still feel his nerves jittering around in his stomach. "When I sit here and think about it I say no. But when I'm with Axel I just lose myself! Over Christmas I accidentally came on to strong at first and it spooked him. I don't want to hurt Axel or scare him off."

"I see. To be honest, I'm a bit more concerned about you," Zexion admitted.

The blonde was taken aback. "Huh? Me?" Roxas pressed.

"Am I assuming too much to say you're on the bottom?" Zexion questioned. Roxas shook his head. "Then I'm definitely more worried about you."

"What are you…" Roxas paused as he came to realize what Zexion was talking about. His face heated up even more and he had to tear his gaze away from the elder's face. "Shit, I never thought about that." He threw his face into his hands to hide his embarrassment. Zexion smiled and rubbed the teen's back to provide him a small bit of comfort. "Say, Zex?"

"Hm?"

"What do you do with Demyx?" Roxas asked, his voice a trifle muffled from his hands.

"We switch around. When we started out, I let Demyx lead since I was so embarrassed most of the time. Once I started getting comfortable with the fact we were in fact in a relationship and what we were doing was normal, I started to gain more confidence. I have to agree with what you were saying before. Sometimes when we're together we just get a little carried away." Zexion chuckled to himself as he remembered what happened back over Christmas. "Don't worry about it too much. At the time, any sort of sensation you feel gets all twisted in your brain to the point you can't even tell which way is up or down."

Roxas thought back to the day after Christmas when the scratches on his back stung like a sunburn. They hadn't even been that deep, or at least in comparison to the ones he had given Axel. He pulled his hands away from his face, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Thanks, Zexion," he murmured. "I feel a bit better."

"Sure. If you ever need anything or if you ever want to talk, I'm here for you," Zexion replied. He noticed the blonde still looked dejected and he found his motherly instincts kicking in. "Come here," he offered. Zexion pulled Roxas into a hug, the blonde hesitating before returning it. "It's okay to be scared. We're all a little scared when it comes to the ones we love." Zexion released the blonde, placing a motherly kiss on his forehead, before the blonde expressed his thanks once more. The silver haired male escorted Roxas to the door and watched the blonde wander to the room across the hall. Zexion smiled as he returned his door to its original position and returned to his reading.

Across the hall, Roxas knocked on the door to let Marluxia know he was entering. The pink haired man stared at his computer screen with a blank expression, a stick of Pocky poking out of the corner of his mouth. Roxas expressed a greeting when Marluxia exhaled sharply through his nose, his fingers drumming on his desk.

"If you want information on Axel it's going to cost you," Marluxia stated before the blonde had a chance to ask. Roxas opened his mouth to say something when he was interrupted once more. "If you're wondering how I know it's because Axel was bothering me the other day with the same question. I told him to find someone else to barter with, seeing as I don't know you as well, but that bastard sat in her pouting until I locked him out of the room." Marluxia bit down on his Pocky and started munching on it like a hamster with a toilet paper roll.

"I'm sorry, is this a bad time?" Roxas asked, unnerved by the pink haired man's irritation. Marluxia's eyes slid over to look at the blonde and he released a huff, his hands rubbing at his face.

"Sorry. I'm a bit irritated with work right now," the elder apologized.

"It's fine. What would you like in return for the information?" Roxas asked.

Marluxia gave it some thought, starting on a new stick of Pocky as he mused. "That might work," he muttered to himself. "Yes, I think that'll work." Marluxia turned back to Roxas. "I have plans for us to go clubbing once Valentine's day is over on the 16th. If you come with, I'll consider it even."

"Seems harmless enough," Roxas agreed. Although he didn't forget what Marluxia did to him on Halloween.

"Splendid." Marluxia turned back to his computer and began typing out what looked like an e-mail. "I'll get you more details once the date gets closer. Now what do you wish to know about my red headed friend?"

"What does he like to eat? Is there somewhere he really wants to go?" Roxas asked.

"As in a date?" Marluxia pressed. The blonde muttered his affirmations. Marluxia leaned back in his chair and thought it over, the stick of Pocky bouncing up and down between his lips. "I can think of two off the top of my head, however you can't get into one since you're not of legal age yet. The other place is this little restaurant tucked in the corner of downtown called Martin Steinz. Axel's always wanted to eat there but you need a reservation to get in and he never thinks ahead far enough to place one."

The blonde nodded. "Martin Steinz, got it."

"Oh, and don't worry about a present for him. I already convinced Axel not to get you anything since he sits and festers over little things like that," Marluxia added.

"Thanks, Marluxia. Oh, before I forget." Roxas rifled around in his pockets and offered a check to the pink haired man.

"What's this?" the elder asked, accepting the paper.

"My first installment in paying back my car loan," Roxas explained.

Marluxia looked over the check for five hundred dollars and smiled. "You have a long way to go, my friend, but I thank you for your generous donation," he commented.

"Once summer comes, I plan on finding another part time job to help pay for it. Maybe then by the time you graduate I'll have most of it paid off," Roxas stated. Marluxia nodded and returned to his e-mail, tucking another Pocky stick into his mouth. The blonde excused himself to allow the man to work in peace and headed for the stairs.


	9. 9-Angels in Flight

**A/N-Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a never before seen scene! Exclusive to the Re:Mastered version! I hope you enjoy my lovelies. :D**

On his way back downstairs, Roxas paused on the second floor as the sounds of Riku's TV caught his attention. Seeing Zexion's room had him curious to what the other two rooms looked like and he figured he would have to talk to Riku eventually about room arrangements for the next year. Walking to the end of the hall, he knocked a little bit louder than needed on the door to Riku's room.

"Yeah?" Riku called. Roxas poked his head inside, finding Riku with a fork perched in his mouth as he watched a game of soccer. The sophomore turned down the volume on his TV as he spotted Roxas in the doorway. "Hey, what's up?"

"I hear you invited Sora to come live here next year," Roxas mentioned, leaning against the doorframe. His eyes scanned the room and found it to be barren in comparison to the other two rooms. The walls were blank and their desks were void of clutter. Lexaeus had a collection of rather thick textbooks on his shelve above his desk, however Riku's side of the room stood out more with the overgrown laundry hamper. Roxas wondered how one man could have so much dirty laundry and still manage to find clothes to wear the next day. He thought back to the bet Axel had made with Demyx earlier in the school year and wondered if they ever did find out an answer.

"Yeah, he was super excited to come live over hear after meeting everyone over Halloween. It'll be odd having a new roommate though. Lexaeus doesn't talk much so I've gotten used to feeling like I have a room to myself. Are you thinking of taking Terra's spot?" Riku asked.

"Yeah. Axel invited me over Christmas and I accepted," Roxas replied.

"Cool. You practically live here anyway so you might as well save on gas trekking across campus all of the time. You planning on rooming with Seifer?" Riku questioned. Roxas didn't miss the hesitation and awkwardness in the sophmore's voice.

"Yeah, I'll move in with him. I heard you two don't get along and I'd feel like I dick forcing Sora to live with him when you're just across the hall," Roxas explained.

Riku nodded, taking a bite of his stir fry. "Good luck, then. I'm surprised Terra manages to live with him but then again he's not home most of the time. When he's not at practice or hanging out with his sports friends, he's out with Aqua or staying over at her apartment. Some days I wish we were all that lucky." Riku frowned and the pair turned their eyes to the room across the hall as they heard something bump into the wall. "Subtle," Riku muttered.

"So where is Sora living? I've been meaning to hang out with him but our schedules never quite seem to line up," Roxas brought up, folding his arms across his chest.

"He's in the Radiant Village expansion, which are the newest dorms on campus. He's rooming with some kid named Tidus and they get along well since both of them like sports. I don't think you'd find him particularly interesting but if you ask I'm sure Sora would be more than happy to introduce you," Riku mentioned.

Roxas glanced over his shoulder as he heard a door open. He watched as the girl he spotted earlier make her way over to the bathroom down the hall. "Well, I hate to run but I need to talk to Seifer about rooming next year still."

"Good luck," Riku stated, turning his attention back to his soccer game. The volume increased back to its almost obnoxious level and Roxas shut the door behind him, his mind briefly wondering how Riku didn't have hearing damage already. The teen wandered across the hall and knocked on the door frame, keeping his eyes averted to the hallway.

"What?!" Seifer snapped.

"Can we talk for a second?" Roxas called out.

There was a loud huff. "Fine." Roxas shifted farther into the room and found it was the outstanding contrast to the room across the hall. Walls were lined with a dozen posters, most of them rather revealing pictures of women, and the floor was almost nonexistent under the layers of clothes, take out containers, random pieces of paper and various sports equipment. Roxas resisted the urge to gag as the smell of sweat, cooped up sex and some scents he couldn't identify hit his olfactory nerves. Why either of the roommates couldn't open their window was a mystery. As for Seifer, the senior sat sideways on his bed wearing only a pair of baggy sweats and a backwards baseball cap. "What do you want, chicken wuss? I'm busy," Seifer snapped.

"I thought I should let you know we're going to be rooming together next year," Roxas replied, his voice gaining a chilly edge.

"You?" Seifer scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I don't fucking care. You're not a complete piece of shit like some people." The man's eyes shot to the wall where Riku was sitting fifteen feet away in the other room. "I have my rules though."

"I certainly won't be sticking around when you have "company" over," Roxas retorted.

"Right." Seifer pulled out a knife from his pocket and flicked open the blade. Roxas wondered what the point of threatening him was when the man instead used it to clean out the areas under his nails. "I don't like people touching my shit."

"Neither do I," Roxas shot back.

"And if you even think about trying to wake me up before I say so then I'll make your life Hell," Seifer stated, pointing his knife at the younger blonde.

Roxas crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes turning frigid. "Same goes for you." The pair glared at each other for a solid minute before Seifer pulled his knife back, his attention returning to his nails.

"You're not too bad, chicken wuss. Maybe we won't end up killing each other by the time I graduate," Seifer commented. He threw his angry stare back at the younger blonde. "Just keep your gay stuff upstairs."

"W-wait, what?" Roxas stammered. His mind raced as he tried to figure out how Seifer knew, seeing as Roxas had only been secretly dating Axel for just over a month.

"I'm not blind, douche bag," Seifer chided. "It doesn't take a genius to see you and Mr. Hot Stuff are hanging out together. You're practically glued to each other. I don't really care who you're dating or banging. Just keep it upstairs."

Roxas chewed on his lip for a second before replying. "That's fine," he said, much of the ice retracted from his voice. "Could you keep this to yourself for now?"

"What? That you're sucking face with Axel? Pfft, whatever. It's not like I have anyone I'd want to tell," Seifer replied. "Just don't go fucking up before we actually become roommates. I mean it when I say I can make your life Hell."

"I've already been through Hell," Roxas said. Seifer stopped picking at his nails. The lack of emotion behind the dead words were rather haunting, making the elder blonde question what could have prompted such a statement. He dared to look Roxas directly in the eye and found a hollow stare looking back at him. It made Seifer ill at ease. He snapped his knife shut and the sound seemed to jar the pair out of their current unsteady atmosphere.

"Well? What are you still here for? Don't you have homework or something?" Seifer muttered. The elder blonde averted his gaze to the wall so Roxas took his leave from the room. Free of the stench, Roxas inhaled some clean air as he made his way down the hallway. As he headed for the stairs, he noticed the bathroom open on the left. The girl from before sauntered out wearing what looked like one of Seifer's shirts, although it might have been one of Terra's if she had randomly picked it off the floor. Roxas wasn't sure as he had never seen either of the roommates wear a button up shirt before. Against his better judgement, he glanced over his shoulder after they walked by each other. He cringed as he spotted her ass peeking out from underneath the fabric.

Of all the things he got to look forward to the next year.

Descending the last few stairs, he found Axel and Demyx in the kitchen drinking sodas to quench their thirst after their dance off. The pair waved at the blonde as he reached the main floor. "Get all your questions asked?" Axel asked. Roxas felt a twinge of heat flush over his cheeks as he forced a smile.

"Yeah! Zexion sure knows his stuff," he said with a chuckle.

"I know! Isn't he the greatest?" Demyx brought up. Roxas thanked his luck the elder pair were dense enough not to notice his embarrassment.

"So what do you have planned today besides homework?" Axel asked, setting his empty can on the counter behind him.

"I don't really have any plans," Roxas replied, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"What about now?"

The teen was sly enough to catch the red head's drift and felt a smirk tug at his lips. "I think I can procrastinate for an hour or two," he mentioned.

"You up for ice cream?" Axel asked.

"Is that ever a question?" Roxas shot back.

The red head chuckled. "Alright. Let me go find my keys." Axel headed upstairs while Demyx shot Roxas a smug look. Roxas exchanged a silent conversation with the dirty blonde using expressions that went along the lines of "What?", "Oh, you know", and "Don't be a smartass". Demyx snorted as Roxas leered at him and sipped his soda.

"You have no idea how lucky you are," the junior commented. "Do you know how many girls would kill for a hot piece of ass like that? Yet, despite all of the people here on campus, he picked you. I think that's awfully special."

"It's not like we're complete strangers. We did go to high school together for a few months," Roxas reminded.

"Yeah, but it's not like you actually knew each other then," Demyx rebutted.

"Well, how'd you go about picking Zexion then?" Roxas asked to shift the topic.

Demyx hummed and drumming his fingers on the sides of his soda can. "It's kind of funny, actually, because Zexion was the one to asked me first." Roxas's eyebrows raised in surprise. "I know, right? He knew me from this class we were taking together at the time. One day I was in the library looking for reference materials and he just asked me out. I remember I stood there staring at him like a complete idiot until he stammered an apology. I was touched he thought of me in that sort of way but I felt really bad having to break the bad news to him."

"You were already dating," Roxas guessed.

"Yeah. Girlfriend of two years. We started dating in high school but during college we sort of starting drifting apart. Then we had a falling out and she dumped me for someone on the basketball team because he "understood" her better." Demyx rolled his eyes. "I didn't care since we weren't really that good of friends anymore. It was about a week later I spotted Zexion in the library reading to himself. He looked miserable so I thought I'd see if he wanted to do anything fun. Back then, Zexy had a lot of demons to battle and I helped him get back on his feet again. Axel and Marluxia were there to help too. It's kind of funny…I just saw Zexion as a close friend I managed to stumble across but the more I got to know him, the more I felt like it just sort of clicked. Six weeks after I found him in the library we started officially dating. Since then he's been my closest friend and every minute I get to spend with him I treasure." Demyx scratched the back of his head. "This must sound super sappy."

"No, no! I think it's sweet," Roxas clarified. "He's such a nice person I can see why you love him so much." The teen was relieved as a soft smile pressed upwards on the junior's lips.

"When we first started dating everyone was super confused. We were total opposites at the time," Demyx remarked. Roxas could see why others would think that seeing Demyx's past fashion sense over Halloween. "But no matter what comes our way, we seem to overcome it and it makes our relationship all that much stronger. I suppose it's a little hard to explain if you've never been in a serious relationship before. Honestly, I should probably just shut my mouth before I start rambling. I could go on for days on how much I adore Zexion."

Roxas chuckled. "It's cool. Do you two get much flack?"

Demyx shifted his shoulders in a strange, bobbly shrug. "Eh, depends. Campus is pretty chill about alternative sexual orientations and, if I remember right, there's actually an exclusive LGBT bar-slash-club somewhere in the uptown area. I've never been there myself, though. I'm sure you know the sort of backlash different orientations can have," Demyx stated. Roxas nodded, knowing all too well. "I made that mistake once. Zexion and I were shopping off campus and these ass hats were ripping these two girls apart with their slander. I couldn't stand it so I defended them." Demyx's face slumped as he recalled the incident. "Ended up in the ER that afternoon. Eight stiches and I couldn't see for like a week. But to me it was worth it." Demyx drained his soda and set the can on the counter next to Axel's. His eyes shifted over to the stairs where Axel appeared with his keys.

"Ready?" Axel asked. Roxas nodded and the pair headed for the entryway to find their shoes.

As they were heading out the door, Roxas paused and stuck his head back inside the townhouse. "Hey, Demyx?" he called. "Thanks."

"Go have fun, you weenie," Demyx shot back, a smile breaking across his face. Roxas mirrored the expression and he hurried after his friend to claim their frozen treats.

The pair drove out to their favorite ice cream parlor and found Kairi working behind the counter. She smiled and waved as the pair entered before scooping up a large scoop of neon blue ice cream. No matter how many times the pair came, Roxas always ordered the same thing: sea salt ice cream in a waffle bowl. Axel decided on Choco Chocobo, which was dark chocolate with little chocolate pieces mixed in the shape of chibi Chocobos. They took the last remaining open table in the back corner and started eating in silence. After a few minutes, Axel tapped his spoon against his lips.

"So," he started, "have any plans for Valentine's day?" Roxas shook his head. "Is there anything you wanted to do?"

"Nah. Probably just go get ice cream or something," Roxas commented.

Axel snorted, holding back his laughter. "Rox, you can't survive on ice cream alone." The blonde shrugged and broke off a piece of his waffle bowl to munch on. "What if we went ice skating?"

"Skating?"

"Yeah. There's this huge rink on the other side of campus over at one of the parks. They rent out skates every year. Usually I manage to get down there one or two times in the winter but I've been too busy this year," Axel stated.

"Alright. Sounds like fun. Should I come pick you up around five?" Roxas asked.

Axel frowned a bit as he took another bite of his ice cream. "Kind of early, don't you think?"

"I thought we could go eat somewhere beforehand," Roxas brought up.

"Oh! Yeah, five works great. We should get there before the crowds or we'll be waiting forever to find a table," Axel mused. Roxas smirked into his spoon as he took a bite of his salty sweet dairy treat. He couldn't wait for next week.

XxXxX

It was Sunday and for some reason he was shopping. Not that he minded milling about looking at clothes but he was in the girls section helping Kairi find a new dress. Why stores sold spring clothes in the middle of winter was beyond him. If anyone bothered to wear the sun dresses on display they would get some frosty legs unless they waited until mid-March. At least he wasn't alone. He glanced over at Sora who was flicking through a rack of jeans, clearly not paying attention to what they were supposed to be looking for. Roxas was sort of glad Sora had begged him to come with shopping as the brunette was clueless when it came to clothes. Or at least girl's clothes. His own sense of fashion was rather tasteful with dark colored jeans, a white t-shirt with a black vest over it. He even had a couple of silver bracelets on his wrists.

Roxas wandered over to the teen scouring the jeans and gently elbowed him in the side. "What's up with you?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, just sort of distracted," Sora muttered.

"I couldn't tell, seeing as Kairi is nowhere near a size nineteen," Roxas commented as Sora's fingers started scrolling through the plus sizes. Sora dropped his head against the rack with an exhausted sigh.

"I'm doomed," the brunette muttered.

Roxas frowned and grabbed the brunette by the elbow. He spotted Kairi a few racks down holding up two different dresses. "Hey, Kairi?" he called out. The girl turned with a smile. "I need to go find some new frames so I'm going to steal Sora for a few minutes."

"Okay! I think I'm heading to the dressing room anyway," Kairi replied.

"Cool. The pink one suits you better," Roxas commented before dragging Sora away. Kairi held up the two dresses in her hands, one blue and one pink, and smiled.

Roxas dragged Sora all the way down where the eye glasses were located and parked him in front of the cheaper frames while he started browsing. "I didn't know you wore glasses," Sora remarked.

"Contacts," Roxas replied. "But with all the stuff I have to do on my laptop lately they've been giving me a headache. I thought maybe I should pick up a pair of anti-glare lenses."

"Oh, gotcha." Sora shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned on the small space between shelves of frames.

"So what has you so hot and bothered?" Roxas asked, checking the price tag on a slimmer pair of frames.

Sora sighed again and his shoulders slumped inwards. "You know how Riku, Kairi and I have been friends forever? Like since we were four and five?" Roxas commented he did so Sora continued. "Well, we kind of stumbled across this awkward…I guess you could call it a love triangle."

"You both like Kairi?" Roxas guessed.

"Er, not exactly." Sora shifted his eyes to the ground. "See, I've liked Kairi for a really long time but she's only ever thought of me as a friend. Then I heard a few weeks ago through the grapevine Riku may have a crush on me but I have really only thought of him as a friend. Now I'm just all confused."

"Do you like Riku?" Roxas asked.

"Well, yeah! I mean he's my best friend since ever but I don't want it to get awkward between the three of us. That's why I've never told Kairi how I felt towards her because it would have made it weird between the three of us. It's like all those dumb TV shows where two of the main characters always get together because one of them happens to be a girl. Why can't they all just be friends like they were at the start?"

Roxas hummed under his breath and replaced a pair of frames he was looking at onto the shelf. "That's a good question," he mused. "I honestly don't have an answer for you. If I were you, I would sit down with Riku and Kairi and discuss your feelings and worries. They care enough not to make drama out of it and maybe you'll get the answer you were looking for."

"You think so?" Sora asked, raising his eyes towards the blonde. Roxas looked his way and offered a smile.

"Sure." Sora managed to smile and he pointed to a different pair of slim frames near the top of the shelves. "Those would fit your face the best." Roxas picked out the pair and slid them onto his face. When he checked the mirror, he was surprised how nice they looked. As Roxas was checking over his reflection, Sora pulled out his phone and burst out laughing. The blonde was about to ask why when Sora showed him the screen. Kairi had picked out the pink dress. The pair burst out laughing together until one of the store workers shushed them.

XxXxX

Despite winter refusing to lose hold over the campus, the day of love soon blossomed and brought with it a multitude of pinks and reds to the eyes of everyone stepping foot outside their door. Couples were everywhere walking the streets, milling in shops, restaurants, and what seemed like every park bench available. Paper hearts decorated windows while the street lights cast a rosy glow onto the snow, making it look like the ground was covered in cotton candy.

Roxas stood in front of his wardrobe staring into the depths as if he was waiting for a monster to step forth from inside. Or for Narnia to appear. He would have welcomed an adventure in the mythical world to help calm his frazzled nerves. His fingers gripped the doors harder while his eyes narrowed at the contents of his wardrobe. Of all the days he couldn't find something he wanted to wear it had to be the day he was going on his first official date with Axel. This was his fourth time in front of the wardrobe as the previous three times he came up fruitless and sat around in his pajamas for another hour hoping inspiration would hit him.

 _'Come on, Roxas! It's already four. If I can't find anything to wear I'm going to lock myself in this damn wardrobe until something magically appears on me,'_ he growled in his head. His heart pounded in his chest as his mind continued to draw a blank.

"Still thinking, huh?" Roxas jumped at the sound of Pence's voice. He had been so absorbed in his own brooding he had forgotten his roommate was working on homework three feet away. "I'd suggest dressing warm. It's nasty cold outside today and if you're going skating you'll want to be sure you're warm enough."

"I know but dressing in layers don't look nice," Roxas replied, his eyes glaring at his pile of shirts.

"Well let's start with what you have to wear," Pence suggested. Roxas pulled out his black jacket with metal accessories on the front and returned it with a frown. He instead chose his red jacket and his black scarf, which he had finally remembered to wash a few weeks ago so it no longer smelt of stale weed.

"White would look trashy with this. Is black too normal?" Roxas asked his roommate.

"I think it's fine," Pence replied with a shrug. Roxas nodded, pulling a pair of black cargo pants from the pile. He set aside his armload of clothes and began rifling through his shirts. "I always like that red, long sleeved shirt you have."

"Yeah, but it's so thin. I'm going to freeze my ass out there if I only wear that," Roxas commented. He pulled aside the red shirt as an option before continuing through the rest of his torso ware.

"What about just a black hoodie?" Pence suggested.

"Too much black," Roxas rebutted.

"Could you wear something under the red shirt instead?" Pence asked.

"No, it would make it look bulky." Roxas grumbled and chucked his shirts into his wardrobe, the stack of fabric tumbling back out so it spilled all over the floor. The blonde let out a huff before picking up his shirts and refolding them. Pence stood from his chair and peered into his roommate's wardrobe. He spotted a bit of light grey peeking out from the back amongst the shadows. Reaching over Roxas's head, he tugged it out from the bottom of a stack of hoodies to find it was a knit sweater. Before he could unfold it, the sweater was ripped out of his hands and hidden under Roxas's stack of shirts he was trying to balance.

"What?" Pence asked.

"It's not mine," Roxas defended, his tears turning pink. Pence crossed his arms over his chest, an all knowing expression written on his face. The blonde cringed and shoved his shirts back into his wardrobe. "My sister got it for me for Christmas the same school year as the shooting," Roxas muttered. He pulled the sweater to his chest, pain marring his features. "She must have packed it for me when I wasn't looking. I had forgotten I owned it until I came up to school."

"You don't have to wear it. I just had never seen you wear it before so I was curious to what it was," Pence stated. Roxas un-crinkled the shirt from his chest and stared at the fabric. Then he scooped up his other clothes and started changing. Pence smirked and sat back down at his desk to allow the blonde some privacy.

"So what are you doing today, Pence? You never said before," Roxas commented as he pulled his red shirt over his head.

"Eh, nothing much. Splurging on candy and romantic comedies like I do every year," Pence replied.

Roxas paused as he started stuffing his arms into his sweater. "Aren't you going out with Hayner and Olette?"

"No. They're on a date, I guess."

"What? Hayner, on a date?" Roxas questioned.

"I know, right? It's going to be awkward enough without me there being the third wheel, although Olette may appreciate it to give her someone else to talk to," Pence mused. Roxas smiled and pulled his sweater over his head. Ever since his scare at Christmas, he and his roommate had grown a lot closer together as friends. Hayner and Olette were both thrilled that Roxas had started coming out of his shell as well. While Roxas promised to keep his relationship with Axel on the down low, he found himself confiding in Pence about itl. The brunette was only mildly surprised when Roxas broke the news, making Roxas wonder if his secret was as obvious as everyone made it sound it was. Over the winter months, Pence helped him through the rough patches of his depression when he couldn't make it over to the townhouse or when Axel was too busy to talk on the phone.

Roxas dug himself out of his thoughts as he clasped his red dog collar around his neck. "Do you want me to pick you up anything while I'm out?" he offered.

"Nah. You two have fun tonight," Pence replied, turning around in his chair. He smiled as Roxas straightened out his sweater, finding a few hard creases pressed into the fabric from neglect. "You look good. Classy but still Roxas."

"I'm my own style?" Roxas asked.

"Yup. Opening my store at the end of the week. Roxas brand! Featuring the best in cargo pants and dog collars," Pence teased. Roxas chuckled and picked up his jacket from the floor. A thought struck him and he snagged his desk chair to reach the top shelf of his wardrobe. Yes, he was too short to reach his top shelf but so was Pence so at least there weren't any short jokes plaguing the room. Finding the item he sought, Roxas grabbed it and stepped down onto the floor. Pence was surprised as the blonde presented him a package wrapped in shabby wrapping paper. "What's this?"

"It's your birthday gift," Roxas replied.

Pence accepted it and looked over the chunky wrapping paper. "You're two weeks early," he noted. Roxas shrugged so Pence tore open the paper. Inside was a stack of movies, making the brunette light up like a fireworks display. "Holy shit, Roxas! This is awesome. Where did you get these? These are all special editions no longer in stores."

"The internet is a good start," Roxas replied with a smirk. Pence set his movies on his desk and pulled his roommate into a hug, the blonde returning it.

"Thanks, Roxas," Pence said. He pulled away and gave the blonde one last look over. "Alright, I think you're set to go. Go have fun, don't stay out too late and send me a text if you're going to stay over at Axel's place."

Roxas snorted and grabbed everything he needed for his date. "Yes, mom!" he called. The pair burst out laughing before saying their farewells. Roxas couldn't wipe the smile from his face as he made his way to the stairs, his hands busy with tying his scarf. He bounced back off of someone's chest and quickly apologized, looking up to find Vanitas smirking at him.

"Heading out?" Vanitas asked.

"Yeah. You?" Roxas asked.

"I got a date later but I have to wait until Zack gets back from his date first. You should have heard him raving about all the mushy gushy stuff he planned on doing with his girlfriend," Vanitas stated. He stuck out his tongue and ruffled Roxas's hair as the blonde chuckled. "Stay out of trouble now, you hear?"

"Right. Thanks," the teen replied before heading on his way.

The drive over to the townhouse filled Roxas with all sorts of jitters. Twice he thought about turning around but forced himself to keep to his current destination. When he pulled up on the street, his heart started hammering in his chest. The front door opened before he had a chance to pull out his phone, meaning Axel had probably been waiting for him. Axel waved over his shoulder before he hurried out to the car with a grin on his face. He dove into the passenger seat and buckled himself in, earning an odd look from his blonde friend.

Axel chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "I guess I'm a little too excited," he admitted.

"Just a bit," Roxas replied, pulling his car away from the curb. His eyes glanced over at the red head next to him to take stock of what he was wearing. He had a black hat pulled over his head, forcing his red spikes downward around his neck, and he found it made the man look rather good. Unlike Roxas's earlier fears, Axel didn't seem to mind putting on an excessive amount of black. He wore his heavy combat boots, dark skinny jeans and his black jacket. Poking out from his dark green scarf was a splotch of red from the man's sweater. Axel leaned back in his seat and turned to the blonde next to him.

"So, where are we going?" he asked.

"It's a surprise," Roxas replied. Axel raised an eyebrow. He wanted to press but he knew Roxas wasn't one to cave under pressure. The teen had even built up an immunity to Demyx's pout, something only Zexion had managed to accomplish. Axel had to wonder where they were going as they passed by all of the restaurants, each filled to the brim with couples. He was surprised when Roxas pulled into the parking lot for Martin Steinz, one of the more expensive restaurants on campus.

"Hold on, you actually got a reservation for this place?" Axel pressed.

"It took a little bit of bargaining but yeah, I got one," Roxas replied. Axel unclipped his seatbelt and leaned over the center console to place a kiss on the blonde's cheek.

"You rock, Rox," Axel stated. The blonde muttered a thanks as he followed the red head out of the car. Upon entering the restaurant, they were both impressed by the décor and the ritzy atmosphere. Fountains trickled in the background while soothing violin played over the speakers. They were shown to their seats in the back by one of the windows that overlooked the outdoor eating area, which was covered in several inches of snow. "Man, I feel underdressed," Axel commented as they hung their coats over the backs of their chairs.

"No kidding," Roxas agreed. They sat and a waiter came to order their drinks.

During the down time between ordering, the pair talked about school and classes they were taking for the semester. Axel was taking the last of his Literature classes so by summer all he had left was pharmacy. Roxas missed having Literature with his friend but he found himself liking Chemistry. Axel recounted his attempts at organic chemistry and they both ended up laughing at how silly it all seemed.

While the food was on the expensive side, the fact it tasted delicious made up for it. Roxas got a flat bread pizza topped with chicken, gouda, spinach and artichokes while Axel got a shrimp pasta bowl big enough for two people to eat their fill. The conversation floated around as they ate between their friends, arrangements for housing the next year, and plans for the upcoming breaks. Dinner was followed by a shared dessert as neither had room to eat one themselves. Feeling like a couple of bloated pufferfish, Roxas drove them over to the skating rink. Roxas didn't like it was so crowded but Axel reassured him they would have fun.

Stepping out on the ice, Roxas's knees wobbled but soon the rhythm came naturally to him. His feet soon started gliding over the ice and a smile flickered onto his face. He stumbled over a chip in the terrain and found himself being held up by Axel. The red head chuckled and eased the teen back to a steady stance. Then he skated backwards, leading Roxas over the ice.

"How come you're so good?" Roxas complained as his knees started to wobble again.

"My sister was an ice skater. She would teach me how to skate during those free to skate days at the rink," Axel explained.

"So that's why you come here every winter," Roxas noted. "You know you're making me look like a total skating noob by leading me around."

"You pretty much are. You're form is pretty bad," Axel teased.

"I'll have you know I used to rollerblade back in high school," Roxas retorted. He pulled his hands free and started skating on his own. Axel shoved his hands into his coat pockets and spun around so he could skate next to his friend. "So did your sister teach you any tricks?"

"Sure, but I'm so out of practice I'll probably land on my ass," Axel replied.

"I hadn't danced in years and landed on my ass," Roxas reminded.

"Alright, I'll take your challenge. Let's see if I remember how to do these." Axel pushed forward so he had some space to skate. Once he had an opening, he pushed off the ground and did a double turn in the air. Roxas watched in awe as his friend twirled but it quickly changed to panic as Axel landed on his ankle wrong and tumbled to the ice. Roxas swore under his breath as he stumbled on his way over to where Axel sat wincing on the ice.

"Are you okay?" Roxas asked, sliding onto his knees by Axel's side.

Axel shot Roxas a smirk, although it did nothing to deter the blonde's panic stricken features. "Told you I'd fall on my ass." Roxas whacked his friend on the shoulder. "Hey! I'm the injured one here," Axel protested.

"Can you stand?" Roxas questioned. Axel put his skates down on the ice and, with the help of Roxas, pushed himself to his feet. He winced as he shifted his weight but he managed to nod. Axel pulled the teen to his feet and they took it easy as they continued around the rink. "How's your ankle?" Roxas asked.

"A bit tender. It might swell but I don't think I twisted it that hard. A couple of days sitting around and I should be good as new," Axel reassured him.

Roxas frowned. "I should never have asked you to do that. You could have seriously gotten hurt."

"Don't feel bad. It was fun trying out those old moves but I'll leave the tricks to my sis." Axel ruffled Roxas's hair and flashed his friend a smile. Roxas hooked an arm around one of Axel's, hoping to absorb some of the positive energy the red head was giving off to ease his nerves.

While they were skating, Axel pointed across the rink where Terra and Aqua were gliding across the ice. They held hands as Terra struggled to remain standing, Aqua offering him encouragement each time he stumbled. Roxas thought it was nice to see a couple mesh to well and wondered if he and Axel would ever have that close of a relationship. By nine, the pair made their way off the ice to take a break and grab some hot chocolate. Their faces were flushed from the cold, making it look like they had a permanent blush on their cheeks. Axel stole one of Roxas's marshmallows when the blonde was lost in his thoughts. In retaliation, Roxas scooped up a finger full of whipped cream and smeared it over Axel's cheek. The red head frowned and moved to wipe it from his cheek when Roxas tugged down on his coat. He blushed as the blonde kissed the cream from his face. Axel buried his face into his hot chocolate cup to hide his embarrassment, thankful they were standing behind the hot chocolate stand where there weren't many people about.

Filled up on steamed milk and fun, the pair decided to head back to the townhouse for the night. When Roxas stepped out of his car, he found Axel walking in the opposite direction of the building. Wondering where the red head was venturing off to, he hurried after. The street lights continued to cast their rosy glow onto the streets, making Roxas feel like he was wearing a pair of tinted glasses.

At some point, Axel grabbed the teen's hand and they walked in a calming silence through the cold, night air. Their breath rolled up into the sky with each exhale, joining the stars as they twinkled overhead. Roxas intertwined his cold fingers with Axel's, finding they were warm to the touch. The sounds of snow crunching under their shoes echoes through the streets until they ended up at the park. Roxas had to smirk as he spotted a bench out of the corner of his eye, the taste of strawberry Pocky surfacing on his tongue.

The teen looked up as he heard Axel release a happy sigh. "What a perfect day," he muttered with a smile. Roxas hadn't seen him look so blissful since they were making out on the couch Christmas Eve. The blonde leaned in closer to the man's side and wrapped his arms around Axel's. Axel chuckled and ruffled the teen's golden locks with his free hand. "You've been awfully quiet since we left the skating rink. Something on your mind?"

"No. I was just enjoying the silence," Roxas replied. "I used to hate it when there wasn't any sound because then I'd hear my own thoughts, but now I'm finding the silence comforting when the world can't seem to shut up around me. Every time I come to this park it's quiet. I like knowing that if I never need to escape I can come out here and let the stress melt away for awhile."

Axel smiled and tugged Roxas off of the path towards the center of the park. When they were out in the open, Axel pulled away from the blonde and leaned back. The snow crunched as he flopped down onto the fluffy crystals, his arms and legs fanning out to create an angel in the snow. Not to be outdone, Roxas flopped down in the snow next to Axel and created his own work of art. He paused as his fingers brushed over something warm and turned his head to find Axel linking his fingers with his own. Roxas smiled and turned his gaze back to the black void above their head filled with glittering lights and hidden constellations waiting behind the light pollution.

"You know, you never talk about your parents," Roxas commented.

"What? Where did that come from?" Axel pressed.

"I don't know. It just sort of came to me," Roxas admitted.

"I see. Well, there isn't much to say. I'm not on bad terms with them but we've always had this mutual respect towards each other. They were the ones who suggested I change schools in high school, even though I was almost done with my senior year. I think they were sort of done with parenting by the time I reached high school. Xion's older than me by eight years so she was already out of the house and done with college by the time I even reached senior high," Axel explained. "I do miss hanging out with her at times but she keeps in touch. She sends me postcards a few times a year from wherever she happens to be teaching English. I have a shoebox filled with them under my bed."

"You'll have to show me sometime." Roxas turned his head to find Axel smiling at him, the man nodding in agreement. The teen turned his gaze back to the stars. "Hey, Axel? Do you think we'll always be like this?"

"What do you mean?" Axel pressed.

"I guess I'm just being pessimistic but I just don't want this to end. When we're together, I feel like there's nothing that can tear us apart but then as soon as I curl up to sleep I can't stop thinking all of the ways I could lose you," Roxas mentioned. He felt Axel squeeze his hand and it made him feel a bit better.

"I can't say we'll always be together as we can't always control what happens in our lives. Whatever happens will happen. If we do get separated, then we'll just have to find each other in our next life," Axel decided.

"I'll run to you," Roxas promised.

Axel smiled. "With open arms," he whispered. His eyes widened as he saw a star streak across the sky. It made it feel like their promise would be locked in eternity. He closed his eyes and let the moment sink into his body like the chill permeating through his clothes from the snow yet the feeling he felt was far from cold. A song formed in his throat and he started humming along, the notes of 'Passion' floating into the air.

"Omoidasu ba, haruka haruka," Roxas sang softly. Axel hummed along as Roxas sang quietly for just the two of them to hear. As the last note floated off with the blonde's misty breath, the pair were engulfed in silence. Axel felt Roxas squeeze his hand and he returned the gesture. "Hey, Ax?"

"Yeah?"

"My ass is cold."

Axel snorted and rolled his eyes. "Way to kill the moment, Rox," he retorted. The released their hands and sat up, being careful not to step on their creations as they hoisted themselves to their feet. They interlocked their hands again as they made their way back towards the townhouse. Behind they left their angels in the snow, hands clasped as they gazed up at the sky for eternity.

Roxas yawned and rubbed his running nose as they drew closer to the road. "Damn. I have class in the morning," he muttered.

"You're welcome to stay," Axel offered.

"Thanks, but I should probably get back to my dorm," Roxas reasoned. They walked over to Roxas's car, their hearts sinking as the night was about to come to an end. They stood by the driver's door for a solid minute, neither moving. Axel made the first move and pulled Roxas into a hug. The teen returned the embrace, neither wanting to let go as the night continued to move around them. Roxas frowned as he felt something cold drip onto his head. When he looked up, he found Axel's cheeks were glittering with tears. He stared up at the man's face, confused and concerned to why his friend was crying.

Axel sniffed and used his shoulder to attempt to wipe away the tears. "Sorry. Damn tears just slipped out," he apologized. Roxas didn't reply. Instead, he pulled Axel down into a heartwarming kiss, each pulling the other closer. As they parted, they rested their foreheads against each other's. "Still short," Axel whispered.

"Shut up," Roxas said with a smile, reaching up just a bit higher on his toes. They kissed one last time before breaking apart. Axel watched Roxas climb into his car and drive off, his heart sinking as the lights disappeared around the corner. He turned to his home and trudged inside. For some reason the day had left him drained, although he didn't want to admit it was the fact he was still crying. Finding he was home alone, Axel headed upstairs and got ready for bed.

As he crawled under the covers, he found the room felt very empty without Marluxia around. His heart clenched and he forced back the tears that had finally stopped while he was brushing his teeth. He rolled over onto his side and curled up. Axel didn't even have time to realize his pillow was becoming wet as sleep captured him in its warm embrace.

XxXxX

When Axel opened his eyes, he found himself staring up at a bright blue sky. The sound of waves sloshing against the shore echoed in his ears with the echos of seagulls crying somewhere behind him. He sat up and looked out at the cerulean waves glittering in the sun, a sense of calm and intrigue pulsing through his veins. His eyes scanned the shore and spotted a figure sitting on an outcropping of rocks father down the shore. The person stared off out to see as if they were waiting for someone. Axel rose to his feet and trekked across the beach towards the mysterious figure. As he neared, he found they were dressed in black with a pair of snow white wings folded against their back. Golden locks flowed with the gentle breeze given off by the sea while eyes the color of the ocean remained locked on the waves on the horizon.

"Roxas?" Axel muttered. He hurried his pace, eventually breaking into a run. "Roxas!" he called. The figure turned their head, their blue eyes dead to the world around them. Axel watched the angel rise to their feet and spread his wings wide, a few loose feathers floating downwards to where they nestled against the rocks. The angel held out a hand to the man and Axel reached for it. As soon as their hands touched, their hands locked together and the angel's wings pushed down on the air. Axel repressed a scream rising in his throat as they rocketed into the sky, the angel's wings blocking out the light of the sun.

In the shadow of the downy wings, Axel watched the white feathers morph into a darker shade of grey. He called out to the figure, hoping they would hear, but instead they kept climbing higher into the air. With each beat of his wings, the angel's feathers turned a shade darker. Axel wanted him to stop but the figure was focused on reaching greater heights.

Axel flinched as they passed through the cold mist of the clouds. Darkness continued to ooze out of the angel's wings and dripped off of the loose feathers beginning to trail downwards to the ground no longer visible below. Axel squinted as light broke through the clouds, his breath catching in his chest as the broke through the mist. The angel was haloed in the golden orange glow of the setting sun. His wings stopped beating and spread out wide to absorb the last bit of warmth before they turned a sickening shade of ash. Axel's eyes widened as the wings began to disintegrate. He felt his body float for a brief moment as gravity took hold of them both. Then he felt his fingers slipping out of the grasp of the angel's and his heart seized in his chest as the angel dropped out of the sky. They tumbled through the clouds, Axel losing sight of the figure for a moment, until they broke through to the sky below.

The angel had folded his hands over his chest and closed his eyes as if he had accepted the inevitable. Axel clenched his jaw and dove after the angel, determined to save him from his fate. All around them there was a flurry of ashen feathers as they peeled away from the angel's wings. Axel managed to catch up and wrapped his arms around the angel's waist.

"I won't let you fall!" he shouted.

Pain erupted from his back as a pair of scarlet wings spread out behind him. Axel's teeth clenched harder in his mouth to the point he could taste blood leaking out from his strained gums. He forced his body to move the wings to slow their fall and he glided down to the beach. Axel felt relief wash over him as his toes sank into the sand and he set the angel on his feet, glad he hadn't been hurt. Yet his relief was short lived as the sky above them rumbled with thunder. Axel shot his eyes skyward to see the clouds swirling with menace only to get blasted by a huge gust of wind. His wings caught the rush of air and it ripped him away from the blonde.

Axel fought against the wind but the figure grew smaller and smaller by the second. Looking within himself, he pressed a hand to his chest. A shining light emerged under his fingertips and he picked it up like a glittering gem. "Roxas," he whispered. Then he let the light go. His wings started to turn from warm scarlet to a cold, haunting shade of violet as the light soared against the wind to the blonde standing on the beach. The light pierced through the angel's hands and his eyes snapped open, blue eyes awake. His hand reached out to the fading red head and his screams echoed in the gale.

"Axel!"

XxXxX

Axel woke with a start in a cold sweat. He ran a hand through his hair as he took a few deep breaths to calm his frazzled nerves. His eyes shot to his desk where his phone danced across the surface, still on vibrate from earlier. Axel dove out of bed and answered it without checking the screen.

"Hello?" he greeted.

"Axel." The red head felt a jolt snap along his spine. "I was getting worried. You weren't picking up."

"Sorry, I fell asleep," Axel admitted.

"Oh. Can you come outside?" Roxas asked.

"Out…wait, you're outside?!" Axel hurried out of his room, trying to be quiet as he rushed down the stairs. "Did something happen? Didn't you go back to your dorm?"

"I was almost there when I had to turn back," Roxas explained.

Axel hurried over to the front door. "What was so important for you to turn around?" he pressed. He ripped open the door and was bombarded by the blonde slamming into his chest, the teen's arms wrapping tightly around him. Axel stood there stunned, so much he forgot to end the call on his phone.

"I had to see you again. Just one more time today," Roxas said into Axel's shirt.

"Why today?" Axel pressed. He realized he was still holding his phone and hung up the call. Roxas's arms squeezed his torso a bit tighter.

"I wanted to tell you something today but I couldn't bring myself to say it before. Yet when I was on my way back, I knew I had to say it to you face to face or I would regret it for the rest of my life," Roxas explained. The teen raised his face from Axel's shirt, his eyes shimmering in the moonlight ghosting in from the night shy outside. "Axel, I love you."

Without a moment of hesitation, Axel swept Roxas up in a passionate kiss. Their hearts melted together as they clung to each other. As their lips parted, Axel felt tears welling up in his eyes. "I love you too," he breathed. Tears spilled out of both of their eyes and they captured each other's lips once more. As they broke apart, they wiped each other's tears away with smiles on their faces.

"So, see you this weekend?" Roxas asked.

"I'll be waiting," Axel promised. He gave Roxas a kiss on the forehead. "Now go home and get some sleep."

Roxas blushed and nodded. "'Kay. Night, Axel."

"Night, Roxy." Roxas stole one last kiss before hurrying back to his car. Axel leaned against the doorframe as he watched the teen drive away for the second time that night. When he shut the front door, he was surprised to see someone standing at the base of the stairs.

"Is everything alright?" Marluxia asked as Axel strode over to him.

"Yeah," Axel replied.

Marluxia shook his head with a sigh and cleaned up the salty trails from the red head's face with his sweatshirt sleeve. "You look like a mess," he commented. "And your face is all flushed. If you don't get a cold from staying out in the winter all day I'll be amazed. Let's get you back to bed before you're stuck there for a week." Marluxia frowned as Axel leaned forward and rested his forehead on the shorter man's shoulder. "Axel…" he cooed.

"What am I supposed to do, Marly?" Axel questioned, his chest clenching with a painful pinch.

"Go back to bed," Marluxia said firmly. "You'll only have Roxas worry if you don't sleep and end up getting sick." Marluxia raised Axel's head and offered his friend a smile. "You really love Roxas, don't you?"

"So much it hurts," Axel agreed.

Marluxia hummed under his breath and straightened up the loose hairs around Axel's face. "I'm sure he would say the same about you." Without another word, the pink haired man escorted his roommate back to their room and tucked Axel in bed. The red head was asleep in seconds, his sleep now peaceful and free of corrupted dreams. Marluxia sat down at his desk chair and watched his roommate sleep for a few minutes. A smile crept onto his face as a sense of calm washed over him. He chuckled and turned his gaze to the black ceiling somewhere above his head. "Haruka haruka," he murmured.


	10. 10-I'm Coming Home

**A/N-Not much to say. Still behind in all my typing (so sorry about the lack of updates on Forgotten Waters...). Chapter 10, read and enjoy. :)**

The weekend arrived and Marluxia remained aloof about his plans to go clubbing, despite promising everyone details. All Roxas was told he was to meet up at the townhouse at eight. Since he had plans to spend the day there anyway, he brought a change of clothes with him so he wouldn't get his nicer clothes covered in sweat. When eight o' clock rolled around, Roxas made his way downstairs to find Sora, Aqua and Seifer's latest "girlfriend", who Roxas never remembered her name. It was one of those names parents gave their kids to make them sound exotic but instead they just sound like a Saturday night bar special.

"So what do you think he's planning?" Demyx whispered as they gathered on the first floor. Roxas shrugged and adjusted his belt on his white cargo pants. He realized he was wearing the same outfit he had during the Halloween party and he hoped that no one else noticed. He felt someone bump his hip and looked up to find Axel standing next to him. The red head flashed him a smile, causing the blonde to turn his head so everyone else didn't spot the blush peppering his cheeks.

When Marluxia joined them, he remained secretive about his plans to the point people began to wonder what sort of devious concoctions he had up his sleeves. The group split up between various cars to head over to the biggest club on campus. Roxas hadn't been to a club since his early years of high school and wondered if he would be able to tolerate being in such a nostalgic environment. He figured he would be fine and found strength within the red head driving in the seat next to him. Axel was still able to ride in a car despite his accident so dancing in a club would be easy in comparison.

Roxas turned his head as he felt a tap on his shoulder. Sora leaned forward from the back seat and propped himself on the corners of the front seats. "Did you guys have a good week?" the brunette asked.

"I think so," Axel replied with a smile. Roxas knew was he was thinking about and couldn't help but smiling himself. "So where's Kairi? I thought Marluxia invited her too."

"She couldn't get off of work tonight and you know how late they stay open on Saturday for the bar crowd," Sora brought up, a little glum one of his best friends would be left out of the fun.

"We'll have to take her sometime," Axel decided. "Maybe we can all go again this summer once school gets out."

"Yeah! She'd love that," Sora agreed with a grin. Roxas caught a flash of movement beyond Sora and shifted in his seat to find Riku staring out the window with an unreadable expression.

' _Sora mentioned Riku might have a crush on him. Maybe he's annoyed Sora's taking about Kairi so much,'_ Roxas mused. He felt a little bad for the trio of friends and had a better idea to why Sora came to him for help on the situation. Although it appeared the trio had yet to sit down and talk to each other so it left a sense of bitter awkwardness floating through the atmosphere of the vehicle.

The group arrived at the club and they followed Marluxia to the back where the larges booths were for private parties. Roxas remembered seeing them when he had been to clubs before and, although they were usually full of the popular kids when he went, he had heard the rich adults would hoard the seats on days high school students weren't allowed. Finally being able to sit on the plush cushions made him feel important and a bit like an ass-hole at the same time as people kept sending a myriad of looks their way as they passed by.

Once everyone had found a seat, Marluxia stood before the booth and cleared his throat. "I'd like to thank everyone for coming tonight," he started. "I know this seems rather out of place for a celebration but that's what we're here to do tonight. As of last week, I have officially completed a contract to open a business with a few of my fellow art and graphic design colleagues. You'll probably see them hanging around the club with their friends." Marluxia motioned to the other specialized booths to where a few other people were giving their friends a similar speech. "As this is our official launch party, all drinks order tonight are on me."

"Alright!" Seifer cheered, excited at the prospect of free alcohol.

"So thank you everyone for your support over these past few months and years. I appreciate all that you have done for me and this is my way of thanking you," Marluxia stated. After drinks were ordered, everyone toasted the pink haired man and wished him a successful business career. Most of the group hit the dance floor after downing their drinks but Roxas held back to listen to Sora, Zexion and Demyx converse with Marluxia. He was curious to what the pink haired man did with his business as well, seeing as he had firsthand experience with Marluxia stressing over getting the business off the ground.

"What do you guys do?" Sora asked, sipping on his smoothie. "Do you do art stuff?"

"I suppose you could say that," Marluxia replied. He crossed his legs and sipped his drink, leaning back against the plush booth. "We're more of a catering company but instead of food we cater to the arts. Music, theatre, art design. Each member of our crew is well connected through one of these communities. So let's say a museum wants to open a new exhibit; we can help design how it will be arranged to the most ease of viewing and to get the most content inside. If one of us cannot do it directly, then we use our resources to find someone within the region who can assist with the project."

"That's so cool!" Sora exclaimed.

"So what do you do with music?" Demyx asked. He had his arm around Zexion's shoulders and Roxas had to admit the pair looked really comfortable together in such a public space. Roxas still felt fidgety whenever Axel nudged him when others were watching.

"Believe it or not, our company picked out the DJ that's running the club tonight. We have an arrangement with the club to help support newer DJ's by sponsoring them on Saturday nights throughout the year. We also correspond with the current DJ's hired on the club staff by helping find new music and equipment they might like to use," Marluxia stated.

"You're like a pimped out band manager," Demyx remarked.

The pink haired man chuckled. "Music's not really my forte but I suppose you could say that. If you want, I could pull some strings so you could play around on the sound board for an hour," Marluxia offered. Roxas had never seen Demyx speechless before but he looked a lot like a kid looking at a mountain of candy for the first time. Zexion had to take his drink as it had started to slip from his grasp so it wouldn't erupt all over his pants.

Roxas turned his attention to the bottom of his glass where a piece of pineapple was clogging up his straw. He used the plastic tube to stab the piece of fruit, the music pounding in his chest from the speakers overhead. Sora leaned over and peered at the blonde's face.

"How come you're not on the dance floor?" the brunette asked, sipping his smoothie again. The blonde looked up from his fruit murder to see Sora's face had a bit of concern mixed in with his curiosity.

"I guess I'm more worn out from the week than I thought," Roxas replied. It wasn't an entire lie, as he was feeling rather tired, but he didn't want to say he was too embarrassed to be on the dance floor with Axel.

"I hear you. College is exhausting," Sora commented, leaning back against the booth. He drained his smoothie with a loud straw gurgle and let out a sigh.

"Still having troubles with Riku and Kairi?" Roxas asked.

"It's so stupid!" Sora snapped. He slammed his glass down on the table and crossed his arms over his chest. "I keep trying to get us to sit down and take this seriously but every time I do someone makes an excuse to change the topic. I honestly don't even have fun when we hang out anymore. But don't let Kairi or Riku know I said that! I don't want them to know I'm bitching about them behind their backs."

"If it's making your miserable, then you should really do something about it," Roxas coaxed.

"I know but…argh! Why can't I just put them in a time out like when we were kids?" Sora whined. Roxas snickered at the brunette's comment and they both ended up giggling under their breaths. Sora watched Demyx and Zexion leave to go dance and his eye caught sight of Riku out on the dance floor. Roxas watched his face fall, making it feel like the brunette was a lonely, wilting flower left alone in a raging thunderstorm. The blonde looked out at the dance floor where Axel was having fun with Lexaeus, although it was almost more of a surprise seeing the burly man dancing, and felt like he had to make things right. He set aside his glass and stood, offering a hand to Sora.

"Come on," Roxas stated. Sora looked up from his sulk, his face falling into confusion. "We're here to have fun so let's go dance and have the best time of anyone out there. It's all about taking chances tonight."

Sora smirked and accepted the hand, getting pulled to his feet. "Thanks, Ms. Frizzle." Roxas grinned and tugged his friend out to the dance floor. Left alone in the booth, Marluxia smiled and toasted his glass to the blonde.

Roxas surprised himself with how much fun he was having out on the dance floor. For awhile he stuck with Sora but eventually Axel and Lexaeus joined their little group when they noticed the teens goofing off by themselves. His mood instantly lifted when he watched Sora having just as much fun with the elder classman, his laugh echoing over the music. It was nice not seeing him sulk over his friends for a change.

At some point, Aqua made her way over and asked Roxas to dance while Terra was off getting another drink with Seifer. She seemed rather excited about it too. "I just had so much fun on Halloween!" Aqua exclaimed, her eyes shimmering. "I had no idea I would run into someone who used to dance professionally."

"You danced?" Roxas questioned, interest piqued as his eyes lit up.

"Yeah! It's a shame I already had graduated by the time you joined. I would have loved meeting up with you at competitions," Aqua remarked.

"Well then let's show the club who knows how to dance," Roxas replied. Aqua beamed and rushed over to the DJ to request a song. Roxas waited as the current song continued playing, anticipation building up inside his system. He wasn't too familiar with many songs, as he only danced for about two years, but he hoped he remembered enough to pretend he knew what he was doing. When the song changed, he wanted to run over and kiss Aqua he was so excited. Not only did he know the song but he knew the moves! Roxas felt a familiar sensation trickle down through his muscles as Aqua hurried back over to him.

"Ready?" she called.

"Let's do this!"

The pair danced in time to the beat, their moves in sync with each other. It wasn't long before the crowd turned their attention towards the pair spicing up the dance floor. The sound transitioned into another upbeat tune and the pair didn't miss a beat in their routine. Roxas and Aqua exchanged glances before they're movements took them to edges of the circle encompassing them. Aqua pulled Terra out on the dance floor with her while Roxas grabbed the person closest to him, which happened to be Sora. The brunettes stumbled out onto the dance floor, both self-conscious of the crowd watching them.

"What am I supposed to do?" Sora asked.

"Just follow my lead," Roxas instructed. Sora attempted to get in step with the simple, repeating movements with Roxas calling them out to him a few beats before so he wouldn't get off. "Okay, the beats going to change up here so grab someone else."

"Who?" Sora asked.

"Anyone!" Roxas replied. The second the beat shifted, the blonde darted to the edge of the circle and dragged Axel in with him. Sora was a bit hesitant but he noticed Aqua doing the same on the other side. He hurried over and grabbed Riku, tugging the sophomore into the circle with him as the beat picked up once more. From there it was like a chain with people calling out to get chosen for the next set, reminding Roxas a lot of middle school gym.

When the song ended, those who hadn't joined in yet meshed in with those on the dance floor. Demyx excused himself shortly after Marluxia appeared behind him and whispered in his ear, or at least what constituted as a whisper with the music pounding through the speakers. Roxas caught a glance of Zexion smirking before the silver haired man wandered over to where Lexaeus was getting a new round of drinks at the bar. The blonde jumped as a hand landed heavily on his shoulder and turned to find Axel grinning at him.

"Taking all the glory again, I see," Axel teased.

"Hey, you showed off at the ice rink," Roxas reminded. "Who the Hell skates backwards just for the fun of it?"

"Aw, Roxy's jealous," the red head cooed, continuing with his taunts. Roxas felt his cheeks heat up and he gave his friend a half-hearted shove, causing the elder to break out laughing. The pair turned their heads towards the turn table as the beat suddenly shifted. Roxas's face broke out into a grin as he spotted Demyx sliding into the booth with the current DJ, mixing their music together with some intense beats and bass. "Alright! Go Dem!" Axel cheered. The dirty blonde flashed the red head a thumbs up before turning back to focusing on the soundboard.

"I feel like I shouldn't be surprised that he knows how to mix music," Roxas commented.

"His dad was a radio DJ so music's in his blood," Axel replied. While he would never admit it, Roxas loved learning more and more about the lives of his new friends. Maybe it was the fact they all had their share of secret strengths and dark secrets to release to the world, fearing of how the public would view them. This gave the blonde comfort, like he wasn't alone in the tortured pit of life.

Time flew by with the pair of DJ's at the table. Demyx ended up staying over his hour of allotted time, although when the dirty blonde rejoined his friends he mentioned the hired DJ was okay with it as they were both having fun. Midnight came and went, causing the demographic of the crowd to shift towards the college crew while younger teens vacated the building to get home for curfews. Soon over half of the remaining people were either drunk or quickly on their way to becoming intoxicated.

When the energy started to die down, people began to couple up for most of the songs. Roxas was getting tired anyway so he ducked out of the dance floor to stop by the bathroom. After relieving himself, he scrubbed his sweaty face in the sink, his skin sighing as cold water ran over his heated flesh.

"So this is where you've been hiding." Roxas jumped at the sound of Axel's voice and slammed the back of his head on the edge of the faucet. He hissed, one hand pressing against the bump to relieve the pain, and reached out blindly for a paper towel as water ran down his face and his arm. He felt paper being pressed into his palm and Roxas cleaned up the moisture threatening to drip all over his clothes. "Sorry. Didn't mean to spook you," Axel apologized, leaning up against the sinks beside the blonde.

"It's fine," Roxas muttered, grabbing another wad of paper towels from the wall next to him so dry off his arm. "And I wasn't hiding."

"Oh?" Axel arched an eyebrow and eyed the blonde warily. "When that slow song came on, you sure ducked out real quick." Roxas cursed under his breath that Axel had noticed. Knowing the rest of the group, at the very least Zexion and Marluxia noticed as well, meaning he was going to get all sorts of ridicule later.

"I'm just not into slower songs," Roxas said with a shrug. He wadded up his paper towels into a ball and aimed for the waste basket.

"Liar," Axel stated, causing Roxas to miss his shot. "Just admit you hate close quarter dancing."

"It's not dancing!" Roxas snapped, surprising both Axel and himself. The blonde toned down his voiced and tried to compose himself. "Grinding is just so…icky."

Axel snorted. "Seriously, Rox? Icky? I'd go with overtly PDA but that's the first time I've heard grinding be classified as icky."

"Okay, so it's a bad description," Roxas admitted. "Doesn't mean I'm doing it." He wished he would have gone back in time to make himself eat his own words. His stomach leapt up into his mouth as he felt Axel grab him from behind and press his back into the elder man's chest. A heavy blush spread over his cheeks as Axel's arms held onto his waist, a dozen thoughts and sensations clouding his mind all at once.

Roxas shivered as he felt Axel's breath on the back of his neck. "Would it be icky if you were with me?" he whispered. A smirk spread over his lips as he felt the blonde squirm in his arms.

"Ax, people are going to stare," Roxas pleaded.

"Then close your eyes." Roxas struggled some more but it was apparent Axel wasn't going to let go. Taking a deep breath to ease his nerves, he did as the red head requested and shut his eyes. They stood still for awhile before Axel prompted Roxas to make some sort of movement. Roxas managed to unhinge his knees so he could establish a small sway. He felt Axel place a kiss to the side of his neck and it made him want to turn to putty. He cracked open his eyes and his gaze shifted towards the pair of figures standing in the mirror. Axel had his chin rested on top of head and his face looked blissfully content.

Cursing under his breath, Roxas grabbed hold of Axel's wrists and broke free of the man's grasp. Axel was dragged along out of the bathroom towards the dancefloor, although he noticed Roxas had his eyes glued to the floor all the while they were traveling. Once on the floor, Roxas tried not to move like a robot but his joints felt stiffer than the tinman as his anxiety went rampant. He felt Axel's arms snake around his waist and hold him close, his lips brushing his ear as he spoke.

"Relax," Axel said over the pounding music. "Close your eyes. It's just you and me now." Roxas did as he was told and turned off his sight of the world around him. Although he could still feel the presence of everyone nearby, he felt a little bit safer not being able to see them. It reminded him of when he would prepare himself for dance competitions.

For several songs, Roxas found they weren't actually grinding per say. It was more of an upbeat swaying, although he had no complaints about that. As the night progressed, he would occasionally peek out to glance at Axel's face. He couldn't help it. The man looked so damn sexy under all the lights with his body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Roxas also took notice no one was staring at them, as many were preoccupied with their own partner or were too wasted to care. This gave him the small boost of confidence he needed to pry his eyes open and relax into Axel's body.

"How you holding up?" Axel asked over the bass.

"Not too bad. A bit shaky but I think I'm warming up to it," Roxas replied.

"That's good. You missed Zexion and Demyx going at it, by the way." Axel burst out laughing as Roxas gave him an odd look. "They honestly can't keep their hands off of each other some days. It's almost terrifying." Roxas remembered how Demyx was dragged off on Christmas and found himself wholeheartedly agreeing.

The teen swept his gaze over the dancefloor in search of his friends, the lack of Zexion and Demyx not surprising him. He spotted Marluxia talking with his coworkers while Terra and Seifer looked a bit too wasted to be standing, let alone dancing. He caught sight of Sora and Riku off to the side at the bar and a wave of relief washed over him as Sora appeared to be laughing. Even Riku had a grin on his face. It was like they were back to their normal, goofy selves and Roxas found himself hoping it would stay like that in the future.

By the time the club started wrapping up for the evening at two in the morning, people were either exhausted or ready to pass out from their excessive alcohol consumption. Marluxia breathed a sigh of relief as he plopped himself down in the booth for the first time in three hours. He looked up as he was offered a drink and accepted it gratefully, sipping the Shirley Temple as Lexaeus took a seat beside him.

"You're staying up awfully late," Marluxia commented towards the other. While the pair rarely spoke, they were on rather good terms within their friendship. They mostly conversed when everyone else was preoccupied, which suited the larger man fine as he wasn't one to hold a conversation very long.

Lexaeus shrugged in response to Marluxia's comment. "I didn't have much else to do tonight and a few less hours of sleep won't kill me," the quiet man replied.

"When are you supposed to go in today?" Marluxia asked.

"Eight."

"I see. Don't feel like you have to stay up on my behalf. Even interning medical students need to be on top of their game when they see their patients," Marluxia remarked. Lexaeus nodded but didn't comment. The pink haired male cast his gaze out onto the dancefloor where he spotted Roxas practically asleep as he leaned against Axel. It made him chuckle to himself, his fingers unconsciously stirring his drink with the straw.

"Do you miss her?" Marluxia looked down into his drink, his eyes watching the ice cubes spin round and round with each pass the straw made in the glass.

"You mean Tifa?" he asked. Lexaeus nodded. "Mmm, yes. I've been so busy with starting up my business lately I haven't had time to talk to her. She understands, of course, but having her abroad is rather a damper on both of our spirits." Marluxia reached under his shirt and pulled out a necklace with a rose gold band strung upon it. He ran his thumb over the smooth surface of the metal, his face becoming more crestfallen as the ache in his chest intensified. "I miss her dearly."

"Are you still planning on small wedding?" Lexaeus asked.

"For the most part. Apparently she wants to be married in Japan now," Marluxia said with a shrug. Lexaeus raised an eyebrow.

"Wasn't it Australia before?"

"And Russia the time before that," Marluxia agreed. He sighed, returning the ring to the confines of his shirt. Not many knew he was engaged and he preferred it remained that way. Like how Larxene knew Axel most of her life, Marluxia had grown up with Tifa at his school. They were friends for the longest time and ended up going to different schools once they went to college. The distance only seemed to have strengthened their friendship over time as they found they missed each other's company greatly with the passage of time. While they initially agreed on finishing schooling first, Marluxia proposed during their sophomore year and wedding plans had been rifling around in the background ever since.

The pink haired man finally stopped making his drink dizzy and sipped it, the throbbing in the front of his skull lessening a bit. He checked the time on his phone before giving his drink one last sip. Then he stood, stretching his arms above his head with a groan.

"Let's go get everyone before we end up getting kicked out," Marluxia commented. Lexaeus nodded and rose to his feet as well, following the pink haired man out onto the dancefloor to gather the remains of their group. Marluxia ventured over to Axel and tapped his friend on the shoulder. "You two ready to go?"

"I suppose so," Axel replied, stretching out his neck with a loud pop. "I think Roxas may have fallen asleep, though."

"M-not 'sleep," came Roxas's muffled reply.

"I'll make sure he gets to the car," Axel said in a low tone to his roommate. Marluxia nodded and went off to gather Zexion and Riku, taking note that Lexaeus had ushered Sora and Riku away from the bar. Axel released a loud sigh and ruffled the hair of the blonde leaning against him. "Ready to go?" he called out. Roxas moaned, not so much as twitching as Axel attempted to edge him off the dancefloor. Deciding it wasn't worth the fight, Axel pried himself away from Roxas and boosted the teen onto his back. Roxas was too tired to protest the piggy back ride out to the car and he found himself falling asleep once more against Axel's shoulder. If he wasn't so tired, Axel would have burst out laughing.

XxXxX

With the passing of February, the snow finally desisted and the wind began to die down to a gentle breeze promising spring close behind. While the weather only warmed up a few degrees as it entered March, students breathed a sigh of relief as the harsh chill no longer plagued the campus. Soon, winter was eagerly pushed from everyone's mind as the most renowned respite from school approached: spring break. A wild flurry of plans began to bounce between students as trips to beaches, resorts, or back home we eagerly announced to their friends.

Unlike Christmas, Roxas would be one of the few of his group of friends remaining on campus. Sora, Riku and Kairi were headed home as they had a traditional neighborhood barbeque every year over spring break. Demyx and Zexion were going on a car trip across the country to see some of the national parks while Marluxia was flying out of the country to see his fiancé in Korea. When Marluxia broke the news to Roxas he was engaged, the teen found himself speechless for several hours afterwards while Axel broke into giggles every time he looked at Roxas's perplexed expression. Terra was off to spend time with Aqua's family and Lexaeus planned to spend a quiet week at home. No one was sure what Seifer was up to but he mentioned he had to go home to do some "business", although no one had any idea what that would consist of.

Pence flew out the second classes ended on that Friday to meet up with family at a different airport. They were traveling to the Florida Keys for the duration of the break and Pence promised to eat Roxas's share of Key Lime pie while he was there. Roxas was grateful Pence was thinking about him but some days he worried his roommate would start an unhealthy diet trend with all of his snacking. Hayner was off to hang out with a friend of from high school at a different college campus since their spring breaks didn't line up and Olette was going out of state to hang out with her sister.

That left Roxas alone with Axel for the entire week.

The campus cleared out over the weekend, leaving it just as barren as it had been over Christmas, and the atmosphere became quiet. Roxas crammed all of his homework in over the first weekend so he could enjoy the rest of his week, especially since the coffee shop was closed over break. Sunday night, he ventured over to Axel's place to watch a movie together. When Monday came, Roxas took the day off to sit in the quiet solitude of his room to relax. He watched TV on his laptop, ate some of Pence's instant ramen since he was too lazy to go out and get food, and refused to change out of his pajamas for the duration of the day.

His blissful serenity was interrupted mid-afternoon by his phone ringing. When he picked up his phone, a deep frown pressed down on his features. He hesitated, wondering if he should even bother answering as the word HOME appeared brightly on the screen. Swallowing his pride, he accepted the call and pressed the receiver to his ear.

"What?" he asked in a low tone.

"ROXAS!" The teen recoiled as the voice nearly blew out his eardrum, causing him to drop his phone onto the floor. Roxas snatched the device back up before switching it to his uninjured ear.

"What the Hell, Ven? You shared the shit out of me," Roxas scolded. He heard his younger brother giggle on the other side of the line.

"You never call us!" Ven whined.

Roxas rolled his eyes with a smirk and paused his show. "I'm sure mom wouldn't like it if I called," the teen reminded, leaning back in his chair.

"Well…yeah, she probably wouldn't like it. But me and Nam are so bored here without you! When are you coming home?" Ven asked.

"I wasn't planning on coming home."

"WHAT?!" Roxas flinched as his other eardrum threatened to burst. "But what about summer? You didn't come home over Christmas and it was super sucky cause the whole thing was gloomy and dumb. Mom didn't even want to put up the tree this year," Ven complained. Somehow Roxas wasn't surprised. "Couldn't you come back for a few days? Mom's supposed to be on a trip for work until Thursday so you could slip in and out without her even knowing." Per reflex, Roxas wanted to check his calendar on his phone but he knew there was nothing going on for the week. After all, he had planned it that way. "Please?" Ven begged.

Roxas sighed, switching his phone to his other ear. "Just a couple of days, okay?"

"Are you serious?!" Ven squeaked.

"Yeah, I'll come home for a couple days. I'll be there tomorrow afternoon. Sound good?" Roxas asked. He recoiled as Ven let out a loud squeal, making his already injured eardrum wish it had exploded before.

"Thank you, Roxas! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"

Roxas chuckled. "Sure. Just make sure dad knows and I'll see you and Nam tomorrow."

"Okay! Make sure you ask Naminé about school. She seemed kind of bummed about it earlier this year," Ven requested.

"Alright. Bye Ven."

"BYE!" the boy cheered. Roxas couldn't help smiling as he hung up the phone. A thought struck him as his screen blacked out and he ended up making another phone call.

"Bored already?" Axel teased when he picked up.

"You want to go home for a couple days? With me, that is?" Roxas asked.

"Are you sure your parents will mind?" Axel asked cautiously.

"My mom's supposed to be out of town and I'm sure my siblings would love meeting you," Roxas persuaded.

Axel chuckled. "I'm sure they would. Alright, I'm game. My parents are out of town with relatives so we won't be able to stop by my place but it's been over a year since I've been back in Hollow Bastion. Maybe something will have changed in my absence."

"Doubt it," Roxas replied, both of them chuckling. "Pick you up at eight?"

"It's a date." The call ended and Roxas was left in silence, although his ears were ringing from when his brother called. Home. He hadn't thought of home much since he came to college and the only time someone called was to either nag him about expenses or his siblings giving him their regards. It wasn't a place he wanted to willingly return to yet he couldn't deny he missed his siblings. They were the last shred of light he had left when he was in high school, even if it was dim. Hearing them wanting him back made the ache to see them even stronger.

The teen got out of his chair and began packing a bag for the trip, making sure to pack his iPod and headphones. He wasn't sure if the nightmares would return when the familiar sights resurfaced but he didn't want to take any chances. Hopefully he wouldn't wake up screaming in the middle of the night like he used to.

The next day, Roxas found himself anxious as he drove out to the townhouse to pick up Axel. He knew he had plenty of time to prepare himself but he knew the entire drive his nerves were going to be raw. Driving would keep him focused but he wondered if he should let Axel drive so he wouldn't turn around in the middle of the trip. When he pulled up to the townhouse, Axel was already waiting for him and climbed into the car. He placed a kiss on the blonde's cheek, offering words of comfort as Roxas pulled away from the curb. Maybe the trip wouldn't be so bad.

The long trip home to Hollow Bastion was uneventful. The pair talked for the first couple of hours but fell silent as they ran out of topics to discuss. They stopped around noon in a small town diner for lunch and continued on their way not long after. As they passed the six hour mark, Roxas could make out the faint outline of the Hollow Bastion skyline in the distance. He adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, bracing himself as he delved back into his past. Memories would bubble to the surface of his mind as he passed by familiar places but he forced himself to focus on driving. As he expected, Hollow Bastion hadn't changed a bit. Roxas almost wished it had.

"Traffic still stinks here," Axel commented as they headed into the metro. "That's something I do not miss in the slightest."

"Tell me about it. Driving to school took almost an hour," Roxas recalled.

"Ugh, yes! I hated driving to school!" Axel groaned. "It almost made me miss taking the bus."

"What, and put your hands into the lives of those maniacal bus drivers? The day I earned my driver's license was one of the best days of my life," Roxas remarked, making Axel chuckle.

Before reaching the heart of the metro, Roxas turned off onto one of the smaller highways and ventured back out towards the suburbs. Soon the skyline receded behind them and larger houses began to line the streets. Roxas exited off the highway again and the houses started to grow smaller, although the yards became much bigger. The neighborhoods began blending together as the cookie cutter contracting became obvious when the city needed to expand quickly. Axel was glad Roxas was driving through the suburbia as he was used to the neighborhoods closer to the metro. All the oddly shaped side streets were making his head spin.

Roxas turned off to one of the cookie cutter neighborhoods and wove his way back to a street Axel noted was named Wayfinder Boulevard. They pulled up to a plain, light blue home with white shutters and some well-tended greenery in the front yard. Ivy and pink flowers grew around the mailbox, giving it a distinct look compared to the rest of the boxes lining the street. Yet what caught Axel off guard was when Roxas turned rather white when they parked. The red head followed his gaze to a sunset colored car in the driveway.

"Shit," Roxas hissed.

"What is it?" Axel pressed.

"Ven said she would be gone." Roxas peered around his boyfriend towards the front door. "What is she doing home? She never cuts out of work."

"Hey," Axel called out, placing a hand on Roxas's thigh. "It's okay. I'm here with you, remember? We'll get through this together." Axel offered the blonde a smile but the teen couldn't bring himself to return it. Roxas took a couple of deep breaths before climbing out of the car, Axel following suit. They grabbed their bags and strode across the lawn to the front door.

Roxas tried the door and found it unlocked, so he braced himself and he stepped inside. Axel took a moment to look at the space and found it was modest with a warm touch. The living room was off to the left with several family pictures lining the walls. To the right was the stairs to the upper and lower levels. Past that was a hallway that led off to the right before turning into the dining room with the kitchen to the right of that. The air smelt of dryer sheets and some sort of scented cleaning product he couldn't quite place while bright sunlight filtered in through the windows.

Not five seconds after stepping into the entryway, there were thunderous footsteps and Roxas was attacked by a small boy leaping into the air, latching onto his brother. Roxas staggered back as Ven crushed him in a bear hug.

"You're home!" Ven cried.

"Y-yeah," Roxas gasped, his lungs compressed from the embrace. Ven let his brother go and lowered his voice.

"I'm so sorry, Roxas! Mom was gone on a trip but it was cut short due to weather canceling flights so she came home a couple hours ago. I knew you were already on your way…" Ven rambled, but Roxas silenced him by putting a hand on his head.

"It's okay, Ven," Roxas said, although he wasn't convinced himself. Axel took notice that Ven looked like a miniature version of Roxas with the same bright blue eyes and wild, golden locks. His hair even had the same cowlick look. The boy's greeting was interrupted by another set of footsteps sounding from the kitchen: high heels clicking against linoleum. Roxas steeled himself as his mother rounded the corner of the kitchen with a cup of coffee in her hands, her eyes as cold as the grey color of her suit. She wore a knee length skirt and a pressed jacket over a white blouse, everything pressed to perfection. Her blonde locks were piled up on the back of her head in cascading rivers of ichor and small golden loops. Her summer blue eyes felt out of season with the scowl pressed on her face.

"So, you decided to come home," his mother quipped. Her eyes shifted to the red head standing behind her son. "And you brought a friend without asking or informing me. Is this how I raised you?"

"You weren't supposed to be home," Roxas countered. "Deal with it." Axel's eyes shifted back and forth between mother and elder son. The air felt like it was filled with nails and shards of glass, eager to rip anyone to shreds if they dared to move.

"Well? Aren't you going to introduce us, Roxas?" his mother snapped. The teen frowned and tried his best to remain calm under his mother's glare. He motioned to the red head.

"Mom, this is Axel," Roxas muttered. "Axel, this is my mother, Rikku. She's a business executive."

"It's nice to meet you," Axel greeted, giving the woman a small bow of his head. He felt her cold eyes staring at him as she sipped her coffee, as if she were trying to place who he was but couldn't quite remember. He felt the tension leave his shoulders as the woman shifted her eyes away towards Roxas, wondering how the teen handled being looked at as such for so long.

"Roxas, do you know how many calls I've received while you were away? Hospital bills, insurance claims, the University asking about student loans. How much more of our money are you expecting to drain away?" Rikku asked, her tone frigid.

Roxas and his mother went back and forth for awhile, each statement colder and more venomous than the last. Axel spotted movement out of the corner of his eye and remembered Ventus was there too. He glanced at the boy, finding Ven was just as uncomfortable as he was. He suddenly wished he could freeze time and take the kid elsewhere so he wouldn't have to hear his family arguing but the lack of radioactive goo or rogue meteors meant he was stuck pretending he wasn't there. His ears pricked as he heard his name mentioned and he tuned back into the argument at hand.

"We were classmates in a Literature lecture and he's been tutoring me in math," Roxas stated.

"Some good that did. You're scholarship was cut," Rikku snubbed.

"In half," Roxas corrected. "I plan on paying the rest."

"You'd better. I'm surprised you were able to even pay for that damn car bill," Rikku said, sipping her coffee again. Roxas didn't mention it was Marluxia who paid for the bill but he had a feeling his mother already had an inkling someone had helped him come up with the money to pay for the repairs. "So how long do you plan on spend mooching off of us this time?"

"Two days," Roxas snapped.

His mother exhaled sharply through her nostrils. "And I suppose you expect me to cook for you while you're here?"

"Don't bother," Roxas replied. He hoisted his bag higher on his shoulder and grabbed Axel by the wrist. Then he dragged his friend while ushering his brother farther inside, the trio turning down the hall while Rikku watched him with her frosty stare. Ventus ducked into a door on the left, presumably his room, while Roxas dragged Axel to the last door on the right.

Inside, the room was barren. Axel placed his bag by the foot of the bed, noting it had only simple sheets on it, and scanned what little contents the room had to offer. A plain desk and wooden chair were shoved up against the wall, the desk void of objects. There was one dresser and a full body mirror on the wall near the closet. While Roxas went over to the closet, Axel crept over to the dresser and peeked in the drawers. His heart sank when he found they were all empty.

"That's where those ended up," Axel heard Roxas mutter under his breath. He turned to find the blonde tossing a pair of ripped jeans on the floor with a few other assorted clothing articles that had seen some better days. The red head ventured over and peered inside the closet. The tiny space was crammed with all of Roxas's childhood possessions their parents had yet to throw out ranging from old trophies, speakers, and photos to old vacation souvenirs. Axel didn't have the heart do ask if his parents had cleared out his room to pretend he no longer lived there or Roxas hid them so he had something tangible from his past once he fully moved out.

Axel jumped as he heard the sound of scraping and watched as a set of shoeboxes rained down on the blonde's head, an old hoodie clutched tightly in his grasp. One of the boxes burst open and spilt old picture frames. Several of the glass panels cracked and one of the frames busted completely as they hit the floor. Axel felt one land on his foot and he looked down to find a set of four middle school students grinning up at him. He carefully picked up the frame and looked it over, his mind vaguely remembering the other three faces present. Before he could ask about them, the frame was ripped from his grasp and tossed carelessly into the closet with the rest of the frames, glass raining down on the belongings inside. Roxas slammed the door shut and gathered up the clothes he dug out, cursing as they kept spilling from his arms.

"Hey, hey stop," Axel said, grabbed hold of Roxas's shoulders as he started chucking the clothes at his bed. The blonde broke down and pressed his face into Axel's shirt, his shoulders trembling as he failed to keep in control of his emotions. The elder rubbed his back with his fingertips, giving his friend a comforting squeeze. "It's okay. It's okay," Axel cooed.

"I'm sorry," Roxas murmured.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Axel reasoned. "We both knew it would be hard coming back here but that's why we came together. I'm right here when you need me."

Roxas sniffed and rubbed the moisture from his face. "Thanks, Ax," he muttered. He couldn't help but smile as Axel's warm features melted the cold away from his heart. The elder placed a kiss on the top of his head before helping the blonde pick up the remainder of the clothes from the floor.

' _You can do this, Rox,_ ' the teen thought. ' _You don't have a reason to be scared anymore.'_ He glanced at Axel as the red head started refolding his clothes and felt his heart begin to radiate warmth to the rest of his chest. ' _You have a reason to live.'_


	11. 11-Broken Flowers

**A/N-In which I make probably the lamest joke in history. And then destroy your emotions with the rest of the chapter. I'm such a terrible person. Read and enjoy my readers. :)**

Roxas gave a start as he heard someone twisting the knob to his door. He quickly turned away, rubbing the moisture from his face and taking a few calming breaths to appear natural. The door cracked open and Ventus poked his head inside. The boy gave his brother an odd look before turning his attention to the red head.

"What are you two doing in here?" Ven asked. "It sounds like you're breaking windows."

"Just Roxas's closet causing an avalanche," Axel replied with a grin. The boy rolled his eyes and stepped into the room, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Hey, Roxas, you want to come see my room? Dad let me redecorate it while you were away and I absolutely love it!" Ven exclaimed, his face bright.

Roxas forced a smile on his face as he turned. "Sure. Just give me a minute to finish up here," the teen replied. When Ven saw his brother's red eyes, he frowned. Roxas realized he failed to hide his breakdown and stumbled over his thoughts with coming up with an excuse.

"You should dust in here. It's got your eyes all red and puffy," Ven commented. Roxas felt like his legs were made of jelly as the stress melted away from his body. He thanked the heavens his brother wasn't the brightest crayon in the box and his overactive imagination created the excuse the teen needed.

"I don't think it'll be worth it with me being home for two days," Roxas remarked.

"Hmm, I suppose you're right," Ven mused, rocking on his feet. "So who's your friend? I thought you had given up on making new friends."

"Just in high school," Roxas grumbled as Axel strode over to the kid. The man crouched so he was the same height as Ven, although he was practically kneeling with the height difference.

"My name's Axel. Got it memorized?" the red head asked, tapping his temple.

Ven giggled. "My name's Ventus, although everyone calls me Ven. Got it memorized?" the kid mocked, tapping his own temple. Axel burst out laughing and ruffled the kid's hair, finding he gave the same scowl as when he messed up Roxas's hair.

"Sure do," Axel replied. Ven grinned and looked over at his brother, motioning for the elder to follow. Unable to protest, Roxas trailed behind Ven down the hall with Axel tagging along. Ven's room was on the other side of the hall but closer to the kitchen. Stepping inside, they found the walls were painted a very dark blue, almost black. His room was smaller than his older brother's but it was cozy. Ven had a lofted bed so he had more space underneath for a small desk and bookshelf filled with various children's novels. His comforter was white along with his curtains over his small window, although Axel noted the fabric was rather hefty so it would block out the sunlight when they were closed.

"You have to see what Naminé did. It's so cool!" Ven said. He hurried across the room and snapped the curtains shut before rushing back and shutting the bedroom door. Then he flicked out the lights, casting the trio in darkness. As their eyes adjusted, the elder pair found they weren't in total darkness as hundreds of stars, galaxies, and constellations were painted on the walls and ceiling in glow in the dark paint. Roxas felt in awe, too immersed to comment on what he was seeing. He almost felt like he was in a planetarium.

"Did your sister hand paint everything in here?" Axel asked, looking up at the galaxy swirling above his head.

"Yeah, it took her pretty much all of September and October before it was finished. I really wanted some aliens flying around with it too but mom didn't approve. But I like how it turned out," Ven stated before turning the lights back on. The trio's eyes inwardly protested as they adjusted to the new brightness, their subconscious grateful the walls were dark so they weren't blinded. "So, what do you think?"

"I think it's sweet," Axel commented.

Roxas smiled and ruffled his brother's hair, the boy protesting sharply. "Looks good," the teen stated, making Ven's frown blossom into a grin.

"Thanks! By the way, you should go say hi to Naminé. She got home just before you did and I'm sure she'd love to see you," Ven mentioned.

"You brought that up on the phone," Roxas recalled. "Everything okay?"

"Like I said, you're going to have to ask her." Roxas nodded and motioned for Axel to follow, the pair heading upstairs while Ven remained in his domain. At the top of the stairs, Roxas led his friend to the right and rapped his knuckles on the door before pushing it open. Axel couldn't help but gape at the interior, finding himself mesmerized by the room's décor. While the walls were white and plain, the space was bright from the sunlight coming in through the large window. Pieces of artwork were hung or pinned up all over the walls, making it look like a mosaic of color. The bed was lofted, like her brother's, and had a similar white comforter. Beneath the window was a large, white desk where a young girl sat working, although she turned as the pair entered.

The girl's face instantly brightened when she saw Roxas and she leapt to her feet. She lunged at the elder teen, wrapping him in a tight embrace. "Oh my gosh! Roxas, you actually came home!" Naminé exclaimed. Roxas returned the hug before they released each other, Naminé rather giddy with excitement. "When Ven told me you were coming home for spring break I thought he was delusional but you're here!"

"Yeah, I'm here," Roxas said with a smirk. The girl turned to his red headed friend and found herself in awe at how tall he was, herself being a couple inches shorter than her brother.

"You must be one of Roxas's friends," Naminé said with an all knowing smile on her face.

"I'm Axel," the red head greeted. He offered a hand and Naminé accepted it warmly. It gave Axel a moment to get a better look at the younger teen. She had fairer hair than her brothers and it fell neatly over one of her shoulders. Her eyes were the same shade of bright blue that went well with her slender face. She wore a white sweater with dark grey leggings, looking comfy and warm with the chill still lingering outside.

"You've probably guessed that I'm Roxas's sister," Naminé joked.

"I have been informed by the source himself," Axel replied, sending Roxas a cheeky glance. "I have to say, you're quite the artist."

Naminé clasped her hands behind her back and blushed gently. "Thank you. If you like, you can take one home with you when you leave."

"I might just have to take you up on that offer," Axel muttered, looking around the room for a piece that sparked his interest. With his attention distracted, Roxas used the moment to change subjects.

"So I heard from Ven I should be asking you about school," Roxas remarked. The sun faded from his sister's face and her shoulders sagged. Naminé rocked on her toes for a moment as she didn't want to tell her brother her problems, but seeing as Roxas brought it up she had no choice.

"Some of the seniors were bullying me for being your sister," the girl murmured. She looked up from the floor to find her brother's eyes narrowed in a heated glare. "I know what you're thinking but it's not so bad right now. One day at lunch this group of kids I wasn't even friends with started chewing out the senior class. I don't suppose you remember Wakka from the swim team?"

"Yeah, I remember. He was a big goofball," Roxas replied. He subconsciously glanced over at Axel as Wakka reminded Roxas of when the red head was quite the loud mouth in high school. "So he stood up for you, huh?"

Naminé felt a bit of relief wash over her as her brother's eyes softened. "Yeah. He even sat with me at lunch that day. I got to know his friends pretty well and they're really nice. Vaan and Penelo didn't seem to mind they joined us for lunch either. After that, winter break happened and since then the seniors haven't bothered me. They still give me glares when I walk by but I've learned to ignore them. They're honestly not worth the fight." A faint smile returned to the girl's face. "Although I suppose it wasn't all bad. All the negative talk gave me inspiration for some of my artwork and my teacher was rather impressed by my "blue period". Got my art in the display case too."

"The one in the entry way?" Roxas pressed. Naminé nodded and Roxas shook his head with a smile. "And here I was all worried I would have to pound someone's face in and you're like a box of sunshine."

Naminé giggled. "Better keep your grapes away from me then or you'll end up with raisins," she teased. Axel burst out laughing and quickly covered his mouth to keep his volume at a low tone but the joke brought tears to the corners of his eyes, more so due to Roxas's expression in reaction to the joke.

The sound of the front door opening and closing caught their attention, soon followed by thundering steps on the stairs as well as Rikku scolding Ven for being too noisy. The boy poked his nose into Naminé's room, raising an eyebrow at Roxas's "I'm not amused by Naminé's joke" face.

"Dad's home," Ven mentioned.

"I suppose I should go say hi," Roxas stated, elbowing Axel in the ribs to get him to stop laughing. Axel managed to compose himself and wiped the excess moisture from his eyes. The eldest sibling turned to Naminé, offering her a smile. "Glad school's going well for you." The girl nodded and waved as the trio of boys left her room. Then she turned her attention to her art desk where inspiration was beginning to blossom in her mind.

As the trio descended onto the first floor, they were quiet as the sound of bickering echoed from the kitchen. Ven and Roxas exchanged looks before they headed down the hall towards their rooms, Roxas motioning for Axel to follow him. As the pair entered Roxas's room, the blonde shut the door quietly behind them. Axel found himself a seat on the teen's bed while Roxas stood in the middle of his room with his arms crossed.

"Mom and dad don't get along anymore," Roxas brought up before Axel could speak up. "They've been arguing for awhile, even before what happened to me three years ago. Naminé was worried they were going to get a divorce but I think my mom's too proud to do that." Axel hummed under his breath, unsure how to reply, and decided to keep quiet. It wasn't long before the bickering in the kitchen quelled and there was a soft knock on Roxas's door.

The door opened and revealed a middle aged man with greying hair and a square chin. He wore a grey, button up shirt and some black slacks, his burgundy tie loosened around his neck. The man adjusted a pair of slim glasses on his nose, a smirk forming in the corner of his mouth. "So you did come home," the man commented.

"Why is everyone so surprised?" Roxas asked.

"Maybe because you never call, e-mail or answer any of our text messages. You had me worried for awhile, especially during your first semester, but you seem to be in better spirits now. I see you even got your lip re-pierced. Can't say I ever liked it to begin with but it's your choice," Roxas's dad muttered. He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "So how are you financially? Making it through the semester?"

"Yeah. I have a part time job but it's going towards my car at the moment," Roxas replied. "A friend picked up the tab and I'm paying him back," he explained when his dad raised an eyebrow.

"I see. You get through financial aid okay?"

"Yeah. It's pretty standard," Roxas said with a shrug.

"What about spending money?" his father asked. Roxas frowned and dug out his phone from his pocket. As he looked up his bank account, the greying male glanced to Axel sitting on the bed. The red head wasn't sure if he should interrupt the conversation to introduce himself or remain silent. Luckily Roxas spoke up before he had to.

"I have four hundred left," the teen stated.

His father sighed and dug out his wallet, rifling around until he pulled out a couple of fifties. He pushed off the wall and handed them to Roxas. "Gas money." Roxas accepted the cash and stuck it in his wallet. His father then turned to Axel and peered closer at the red head. "You look familiar."

"Axel," the red head introduced, standing and offering a hand. The elder man clasped it firmly, giving a nod with a grunt.

"Ah, so you're Reno's kid. I thought the red hair seemed all too familiar. I work with your father over at Shinra Corp. Call me Auron," the man introduced.

"You must be the "devil in glasses" my father is always complaining about," Axel remarked.

Auron snorted, his smirk returning. "That would be me." He turned to the blonde chewing on his lip piercing. "How long are you staying?"

"Just a couple of days. Mom's not happy that I'm home and I'd rather not be in her way for longer than either of us can stand," Roxas replied.

"Well, I think we were all expecting a quiet couple of days at home but that didn't turn out," Auron muttered. Axel's eyes flicked between Roxas and his father, feeling a similar tension coming from each of them. Auron composed himself first, clearing his throat as he placed his hands on his hips. "So…plans for food while you're here? I don't think your mom is too happy with cooking for you."

"I was just going to eat out, save breakfast," Roxas mentioned. Auron gave a thoughtful nod before pulling out his wallet again, handing his son another fifty. "Mom's not going to be happy with you giving me money."

"She can deal with it. You're still our son so paying for your expenses every now and then won't kill us, although getting those hospital bills nearly sent her through the roof." Auron ran a hand through his hair before adjusting his glasses again. "If you find yourself running out of cash, feel free to give me a call. I'd rather spend money on getting you fat on fast food than in the hospital because you're not eating." Roxas nodded, understanding the stern look his father was giving him. Auron turned to Axel and gave the red head a nod. "Nice meeting you Axel. You two have fun." The man gave a wave before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

A moment of silence fell on the room. Axel's gaze bounced around the empty space as the awkward tension continued to linger in the air. "So, supper…" he cautiously brought up.

"Where do you want to eat?" Roxas asked, looking over at the red head.

"Wherever," Axel replied, shoving his hands into his pockets. "We can go into the metro and see what's still around. I'm sure there's some places we'd both like to visit again while we're in town."

Roxas smirked. "True."

"Oh, and can we make a couple of stops afterwards? There's something I wanted to do while I'm back in Hollow Bastion," Axel requested.

"Sure. We should get going though if we want to make it before rush," Roxas commented, checking the time on his phone. "Traffic's only going to get worse the longer we wait." He headed for the door and his heart jumped in his chest as Axel snagged his wrist and pulled him back. A hot blush spread over his cheeks as the red head placed a kiss on his lips, turning his thoughts to fuzz. As Axel pulled away, he gave a breathy laugh that puffed against the blonde's cheeks.

"That seemed to work," Axel murmured.

"Wha-…?" Roxas managed to gasp out.

Axel snorted and broke into a snicker. "You looked so uptight I just had to do something to get you to relax. You were like the epitome of having a stick up your ass." Roxas frowned and punched Axel in the arm, the red still snickering as the pair left the room.

The pair headed into the metro to a little coffee shop they both found out they had spent a good portion of their free time at during one summer. Roxas liked reading there while Axel would meet up there with friends for the smoothies and large array of desserts. Now that they were older, they ordered gourmet coffees and some sandwiches. While they ate, someone recognized Axel and they stopped to chat for a bit. Initially, Roxas kept to himself but Axel pulled him into the conversation too, making the blonde feel a bit of pride that he was being introduced.

When they finished eating, Axel directed Roxas to a nearby flower shop. As the red head picked out some flowers, Roxas had a hunch to where their next stop was. He looked around for a bit and found some white flowers in the back that he recognized. Roxas asked one of the store clerks to make a small bouquet and they wrapped up the flowers. Once he checked out, he found Axel waiting near the front with a bag. Roxas attempted to peer inside as he made his way to the car but he couldn't make out what the red head had purchased, although he suspected it wouldn't be long before he found out what lay inside.

As soon as Axel gave him directions to their next destination, Roxas's suspicions were confirmed. He headed out of the metro towards the eastern suburbs where the houses were even scarcer. As he turned off the road, they passed under a large archway and Roxas's chest tightened at the familiar sight spreading out in front of him. He had only been to the Hollow Bastion graveyard a few times and each time made him want to puke. The landscape was dotted with hundreds of graves, memorials, and large crypts where well off families shared a space. It hadn't snowed as much as it did at the University, however someone had still taken the time to brush off all the graves from their white caps and uncover all the plaques on the ground. Pops of colors would occasionally appear from flowers not yet dead from the cold.

Roxas pulled off to the side of the road in one of the designated parking areas and the pair got out of the car, shoes crunching on the compacted snow. Axel led him off towards the right and began counting under his breath. When he reached seven, he turned down the row and headed farther in towards a pale grave marker with a crescent moon carved into it above the person's name. Roxas felt a cold aura descend over his body, making him feel like he was near death himself. He knelt in front of the grave and ran his fingers over the epitaph carved forever in stone.

 _'Saïx,'_ Roxas whispered in his mind. He heard the plastic bag Axel had crinkle followed by the sound of a plastic box opening. Roxas glanced to his friend as Axel knelt beside him, placing an elaborate corsage in front of the stone. The main flower was white, thin spindles shooting out from the center that reached out past the pedals. Beside it were a cluster of small, blue flowers and a dark green leaf all tied up with a silver ribbon.

"Hey," Axel called out softly. "I told you I would come back. I know it's been awhile since I visited but I remembered to bring it this time." Axel chuckled, a stray tear falling down the side of his face. "I still hate you for making me remember the name of that stupid flower you were going to use on your corsage for prom. Hymenocallis. Now it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth every time I see it." Roxas put an arm around his friend's shoulders, unsure if Axel was talking with Saïx or to the both of them. "You never did get to ask her to the prom officially," Axel said, sniffing to hold back the warmth running down his nose. "She kept her word too, when I told her the bad news. She never did speak with me again."

Axel jerked as he held back his sobs and rubbed the tears threatening to freeze to his face with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry I wasn't there for you like I said I would be." Axel placed his damp hand on the face of the gravestone, his fingers turning cold on contact. "But I did as you asked. I found someone worth caring for. He's been through a lot too so I have to be strong for him. I know you'd probably just hit me on the back of the head and call me an idiot for worrying, but I wish you were here right now. I wish I didn't have to say goodbye over and over again each time I come here." Axel's fingers curled into a fist and he gave the stone a gentle punch. "I hope that someday I'll get to bump fists with you again, even though you thought it was stupid." Axel chuckled and pulled his hand away, letting the remaining tears cloud his vision with watery lenses. "I'll see you later, okay?" Axel said with a weak smile.

As he rose to his feet, Roxas stood with him and took hold of his hand. Axel gave it a squeeze, keeping his eyes on the grave a moment longer before turning away. They walked in silence back towards the road, neither sure what to say to the other. When their feet hit pavement, Roxas glanced farther down towards the center of the graveyard. He felt Axel give his hand another squeeze.

"Do you want to see them?" Axel asked. He looked down at the flowers nestled in the teen's free arm, noting they weren't dropped off with Saïx like he initially thought. Now he knew why Roxas had bought the flowers. Roxas didn't reply to his question but he managed a small nod, his grip tightening on Axel's palm. "Lead the way," Axel offered. Roxas took a deep breath to steel himself before trekking deeper into the plains of despair, his destination growing nearer with each step.

The only sound between them was the crunch of the snow under their shoes and the wind whistling through the graves. Axel noted they were moving towards the larger monuments near the center of the graveyard where they marked the final resting places for large groups of people. In this case, they were off to visit fourteen lost souls now resting beneath the earth, their lives taken far too soon. Roxas gave a small tug and they ventured over towards the left to where a large angel knelt on a large pedestal. Axel's eyes widened a bit at the sight of the monument.

' _It can't be…'_ he thought.

The angel has its hands clutched tightly over its chest while its wings stretched out behind their back. A few feathers sat atop the pedestal where they had fallen from the elysian wings. Along the base were fourteen names etched into stone. Roxas let go of Axel's hand and stepped forward, placing his flowers on the pedestal at the angel's knees. Then he knelt and ran his fingers over the names of his friends.

"Hey guys," Roxas whispered, his voice cracking. Tears welled up in his eyes and he found himself unable to speak further. He heard Axel kneel down next to him and he was pulled into the red head's side. A shudder ran through his body as he let himself weep, pouring out his emotions once more over the loss of his friends. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry," he gasped between sniffles. His fingers curled into the fabric of Axel's coat and he pressed his face into the man's shoulder, muffling a scream. Axel's fingers trailed up his neck before gently stroking his hair. Roxas sniffed and pressed his face deeper into the man's coat, inhaling what little scent he could make out from the mucous clogging up his nostrils.

Axel reached out his hand and traced the names of the students embroidered in stone. He paused as he reached the names of Roxas's friends. "No matter how bad it got, he never stopped caring about you," Axel murmured. His hand fell from the pedestal and dropped to his side. "Rest in peace."

When Roxas managed to pry his face away from Axel's shoulder, he found the red head offering him a tissue. Roxas accepted it and blew his nose, crumpling the dirty paper wad in his fist before resting his head on Axel's arm. He let the tears continue to fall unhindered as he stared at the names inscribed before him.

"I wasn't strong enough to fight back against Xigbar that day," Roxas muttered. "Later I found he had taken my friends hostage before everything went to Hell just to fuck with my head. Even if I had been strong enough to fight of Xigbar, I don't think I would have wanted them to see what I had done. I didn't want them to see me as a murderer, someone who had given up on their own life." Roxas sniffed and rubbed his nose with the damp tissue. "Leon was planning on going to this high ranked college on a military scholarship. Aerith just wanted to finish high school so she could help out her mother in their family flower shop." The teen chuckled, water dripping off of his chin onto his pants. "Cloud never knew what the Hell he wanted to do with is life. He just kept making excuses." Roxas's shoulder's sagged, a new weight crushing down on his chest. "You all deserved better."

"I may not be one to judge but shouldn't you be saying that about yourself?" Roxas jumped at the sound of the new voice while Axel looked over at the newcomer. They were short and lean, wearing what looked like jogging clothes for the colder weather. Her short black hair curved around her face, contrasting with the bouquet of white flowers nestled in her arms.

"Y-yuffie!" Roxas stammered. He quickly tried to rub the tears from his face and compose himself while the raven haired girl rolled her eyes. She strode over to the blonde and whacked him over the back of the head.

"You always were a bit of an idiot," the girl named Yuffie stated. She placed her flowers next to the ones Roxas had placed, the trio noting they were the same kind. Yuffie smirked, jerking her thumb towards the flora as she turned towards the guys. "You remembered too, I see. Cloud and Aerith loved those flowers, although Leon thought they were too plain." She looked over at Axel and peered closer at him, clasping her hands behind her back. "You must be a friend of Roxas. I'm Yuffie, former classmate and part-time neighbor to this doofus," she introduced, nodding towards the blonde.

"Axel," the red head introduced.

Yuffie inhaled sharply. "You mean the Axel? The one everyone talked about in high school?"

"Yeah," Axel replied. Yuffie noted the red under the man's eyes and her disposition shifted. She knelt down next to Roxas and folded her hands on her lap.

"That's the second time I've seen you break down like that. I think we call came out a little bit scarred that day; some more than others," Yuffie muttered, glancing at the blonde next to her. She leaned forward and brushed off some snowflakes lingering on the pedestal. As she did so, her sweatshirt lifted up and Axel caught sight of a large scar blemishing her hip from where she had been shot years before. Yuffie sat back and smiled at her handy work, the scar hiding beneath fabric once more. Then she clasped a hand on the blonde's shoulder with a loud smack, Roxas staggering a bit with the force. "Cheer up, Roxas. It's over now. You've got new friends and a new life, so go have fun for a change. Those three would have wanted you to."

"Trust me, I've been trying," Roxas replied. He shrugged Yuffie's hand from his shoulder and she returned her hand to her lap. "And why do you always have to hit me so hard?"

"Gotta knock some sense into you somehow," Yuffie teased, sticking out her tongue. Axel couldn't help but chuckle and it brought a smile to the girl's face. She looked back towards the pedestal, her smiling fading into a saddened countenance. "The more I heard those nasty rumors floating around school, the less I wanted to believe them. Once we graduated, I finally broke free of all that negativity. I managed to come to terms with what happened and accept what happened not only to those who died, but to those who were left alive."

"You still managed to kick everyone's ass even when the doctor told you to quit track," Roxas recalled.

"Well, duh! You can't hold me back when I'm all fired up!" Yuffie exclaimed, causing the trio to break into chuckles. The girl looked up at the angel kneeling above their heads, watching as a few stray pedals blew from the bouquets as the breeze rolled through. "You know something, it's weird but some days I feel like my classmates are still here. I know I'm fooling myself but I suppose that comes with growing up with them around all the time it's weird to think of them as gone permanently." The male pair didn't have to comment as they knew exactly what she was talking about, but it didn't make the pain any less worse. "One day I came here after practice feeling like a complete wreck. I just wanted things to go back to how they were and I was just having a hard time accepting what happened. As I was headed this way, I saw a little girl wandering around as her family visited some other graves. I watched her for a bit, curious to what she was doing." Yuffie chuckled, pointing towards the bouquets above their heads. "She was picking up stray pedals that had blown off in the wind. When her little hands got full, she piled them up next to the old bouquets people had left and started again.

"She must have noticed me at that point because she jogged over and handed me a flower with a couple pedals missing. She gave me this big smile and said "Don't be sad. Even broken flowers can still be pretty." Then she ran off and continued her quest to pick up all those loose pedals before her parents called her away," Yuffie continued. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a plastic sleeve used to cover trading cards. Inside was a pressed white flower with a couple of the pedals missing, forever preserved in its protective coating. She looked through the plastic towards the blonde sitting on the other side and smiled. "I don't think she couldn't have been more right."

As Yuffie lowered the flower, she tensed as Roxas pulled her into a hug. Then she hugged him back, giving him an extra tight squeeze. "Thanks, Yuffie," Roxas whispered.

"Don't thank me. It's all you, Roxas. It's all you," she replied. She held the blonde at arms-length and shot him a wide grin. Then she punched him in the shoulder before standing. "I'll see you around!" she called as she jogged away.

"I'll count on it!" Roxas shouted after her, rubbing his sore shoulder. "Although I can't say I'll miss your punches," he murmured. He pushed himself to his feet and Axel followed suit. Roxas squinted as the cool breeze brushed against his damp face and he felt something brush against his cheek. His eyes followed the blur of movement, finding a damaged flower floating off towards the heavens. He watched it until it vanished into the blue, his heart feeling warm despite the end of winter chill.

' _I'll be seeing you too,'_ he thought. He looked down as Axel clasped his hand around the teen's and they exchanged red eyed smiles. They turned away and headed back to the car. Behind them, the sun was setting on the far horizon, basking the world in a tangerine glow.

"I don't know about you but I'm craving some ice cream," Axel commented.

Roxas hummed contently. "I think I can arrange that. Know any good places in Hollow Bastion?"

"None with sea salt ice cream, if that's what you're asking," Axel teased. The blonde chuckled, gently shoving Axel with his body but kept their hands connected so the red head couldn't stumble too far away.

"Anything works for me," Roxas replied.

Axel smirked. "Sounds like a plan." He leaned down and caught Roxas's lips, each tasting the salt lingering behind from the tears they shed and bittersweet tang of memories they shared.

XxXxX

Axel cracked open his eyes as sunlight filtered its way through the blinds hanging over the window. His body was a bit sore from having to share the bed space and someone had taken the entire pillow for most of the night. He supposed he could have slept on the floor or on the living room couch, but he didn't want to intrude on the family and Roxas didn't mind sharing the tiny space. Axel made a mental note that once he was done with college he was going to buy nothing smaller than a queen sized bed.

As his blurry vision started to come into focus, he noticed a pair of bright blue eyes staring back at him. Axel blinked, unsure why Roxas was staring at him when it was so early in the morning. He grumbled something incoherent under his breath and he heard a lighter version of the teen's laugh.

"Rise and shine, sleepy heads," Ven called out. It took a moment for Axel to realize who was talking and when it finally clicked, his mood deflated a bit.

"No thanks," Axel mumbled, covered his face with his arm.

"You do know we have a couch, right?" Ven asked. Axel grunted, his body unmoving as he started to doze again. The boy shuffled closer to the bed and poked the man's hand that hung off the edge of the bed. "What are you doing?"

"Sleeping," Axel grumbled. He flicked his hand in attempts to shoo the boy away but Ven kept at his pestering. "Ugh, could you stop?" Axel peered out from under his arm to see Ven shooting him a mischievous grin. The man let out a heavy sigh and flopped his arm back down over his face, ignoring the boy as best he could.

"Why are you sharing the bed with Roxas? He's a total space hog. I know because I always have to bunk with him whenever we went on vacation," Ven commented. That Axel couldn't deny. He hadn't slept in the same bed with the teen many times but with each time Roxas had taken more and more of the bed space. Not that Axel would ever complain as he much enjoyed having the blonde within arm's reach. Currently, he could feel Roxas curled up against his back, the teen's hot breath puffing against his shirt as he slept on.

At first Ven thought Axel had fallen back asleep as the red head never responded to his question, but then the man groaned and shifted his position. "Just trying to stay out of the way," Axel muttered, his voice sounding half-asleep.

"So you're cuddling with my brother instead?"

Axel smirked. "My own personal teddy bear," he remarked.

"Maybe an anorexic teddy bear and honestly he's more of just a bear. Have you ever seen him when he wakes up? He practically rips your head off!" Ven hissed, attempting to keep his voice down to avoid waking said bear hibernating behind the red head.

"I'm very much aware," Axel stated. He rolled over onto his back and stretched his arms in the air, his shoulders releasing a satisfying pop. Then he shoved the blanket away from his toes and slipped out of bed. Ven took his place by sitting on the edge of the bed while Axel dug around his pack for his toothbrush. Once found, the red head smeared some toothpaste on it and popped it in his mouth, brushing as he headed to the bathroom across the hall.

With Axel gone, Ven took the moment to poke his brother in the ribs. Roxas didn't make any movement, making the younger brother all the more anxious for when the teen woke up. "Roxas," he called out softly. "Mom says you have to take us to school today. She said it was the "responsible thing to do" since you're home and she doesn't want you loafing around the entire time." If Roxas had heard, he made no notion of it. Resorting to his last ditch effort, Ven stood on the mattress and pushed off into the air. He landed hard on his brother's side and the blonde's both yelped as they connected, Ven ricocheting off his brother onto the floor.

Roxas sat up livid, his eyes burning with detestable wrath. "Ven!" he growled. "Get the fuck out of my room!"

"Don't go swearing at me. If you have a beef make it with mom cause you're taking me and Nam to school today," Ven retorted, standing up with his hands on his hips. Roxas's fingers twisted the comforter between his hands before he threw them away, muttering curse words under his breath as he searched for a sweatshirt to pull over his pajamas. Ven watched on with a smile on his face, reveling in his brother's misery. As Roxas snagged his keys and marched towards the door, Ven could make out "the day Naminé learns to drive" being uttered by his elder brother. Ven snickered and followed his brother with much more bravado.

Axel peered his head out of the bathroom as he heard Roxas storm out. He watched Ven give him a cheeky wave before the youngest sibling called for his sister upstairs. Naminé rushed down soon after with her backpack on, fingers still combing her damp hair from her morning shower. The front door shut with a slam and then there was silence in the house once more. Axel frowned and returned to the bathroom, wondering if this used to have been a daily occurrence when Roxas was in high school.

Once his morning routine was complete, he dropped off his toothbrush and ventured over to the kitchen. He had hoped to find the space empty so he could eat in peace, however that wasn't the case as when he entered he found Roxas's mother leaning against the counter with a scowl and a cup of coffee clasped in her hands. He muttered a good morning before scavenging himself a slice of toast. His nerves were constantly on edge as Rikku watched his every move, her cold eyes following him as he traversed around the kitchen. Deciding not to press his luck with a beverage, he forced down the toast without butter or jam as he stood staring out the kitchen window at the backyard. He noticed how small the lawn was and spotted a neglected garden in the far back, dead leaves and vines left forgotten under a coating of snow.

"I don't recall your name," Rikku stated, causing Axel to jump and nearly choke on his toast. The man managed to swallow the lump in his mouth and gather enough saliva to form a sentence.

"Axel," the red head repeated, keeping his gaze averted to the backyard. He cringed as her nails began to drum on the ceramic cup. Clinkclinkclinkclink, clinkclinkclinkclink. It put the man's nerves on edge.

"You wouldn't by chance be Reno's son?" she asked.

"Uh, yes ma'am," Axel confirmed.

Rikku gave a low hum as her fingers continued to click against her cup. "So you're that kid who miraculously lived through that crash four years ago. How'd you end up with my son as a friend?" Axel glanced at the woman, disliking how cold her tone was to her own family.

"We had a Lit course together. We ended up talking a lot and we became friends that way," the red head explained. He glanced over at Rikku again and flinched as her cold eyes stared back. Her gaze tore right through his shallow story but, much to Axel's relief, she didn't pry further. Rikku sipped her coffee, which Axel noted was almost as black as the suit she was wearing. As he finished off his toast, he hated how she just kept staring at him. Although with her cold eyes, it was almost enough to be a glare. Axel steeled his nerves and turned to face the woman. "Is there something bothering you?" he asked.

"Of course. My son's been nothing but a bother these past three years," Rikku replied. "Just because he's softened up doesn't mean he won't go back to how he was."

"You know he's…"

"Changed?" Rikku interrupted. "Says who? You?" The woman snorted, setting her half-empty coffee cup on the counter. "Roxas is always changing but it's never been for the better."

"He's been trying!" Axel protested.

"Trying doesn't count for much when he ends up being escorted home by the police every other weekend!" Rikku snapped. "It doesn't do a damn when you clean out his room and find all his drug stashes or find him coming home stoned off his ass after sneaking out for the night. Roxas may have told you all these sob stories of how I was a terrible mother for ignoring him, abandoning him! But he abandoned us too."

"He's your son, for crying out loud. Even if he messed up in the past you should be able to forgive him for what he's trying to do now to make up for it," Axel defended. "He's been working his ass off trying to put his life back together bit by bit and not having you there to support him just makes it all that much harder."

"And where was he when we learned of the school shooting?!" Rikku spat. "Lying on an ER bed because he had given up on his life, given up on us! How do you think that made us feel? How do you think we felt when we heard that he had chosen to kill himself over coping with his family? He almost died that day and he pretends like it was just another day at school. I didn't care if he wanted to dress in black or get piercings but he acted like his whole world had ended that day."

"Everyone turned against him," Axel argued, although even he could tell it was weak. Rikku's gaze turned even colder.

"We didn't have much of a choice. Anyone who tried to comfort him was turned away so whatever "isolation" he complains about was half on his own part. Even when the attitude and drugs weren't bad enough, he went and beat his own brother! Yeah, I bet you didn't know that little detail, did you?" Rikku said snidely. Axel clamped his jaw shut, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of answering. "He came home so doped up and drunk he flew off the handle and beat up Ventus so bad we had to bring him to the ER. That's when I snapped and said no more! No more of his shit. I was done. So yes, I did stop caring for my son because he stopped caring for me and my family. Whatever he did once he left my house was his problem to deal with."

Axel was silent. His hands slowly curled into fists, anger tensing up in his shoulders as his rage simmered to the surface. "You think you know him so well?" he asked quietly. "You think you know what's going on in his head but in reality you have no idea what he's been through. The anger, the stares, the silent hatred oozing from everyone around you every second of the day. I've seen those stares, the ones that ask "why was he the one who lived?". And you know what? If I could go back and get my friend to put on his damn seatbelt I would in a heartbeat. Roxas feels the same about his past. He would do anything to get redemption for what happened not only that day but for everything that happened afterwards. The guilt was eating him alive! You may know more about Roxas from his past but I know more about him now than you ever will. Why do you think Roxas was so anorexic? Why you do think he was in the hospital after a mental breakdown? It wasn't because he was high or drunk or just being stupid, it was because he was in pain. He needed a support system that would get him through the mental torture that was destroying him and guess what? You weren't there.

"Where were you when Roxas tried to jump off a bridge this Christmas?" Axel hissed. Rikku stiffened, her jaw twitching as this was the first she had heard of it. "You complain he doesn't call home enough to let you know how he's doing and the second he walks in the door you're practically kicking him out on the streets. No matter what he does, he'll never come to please you. He may not be the son you once had but let him grow into a better person. He's willing to try so why aren't you?"

"Why should I?" Rikku spat, slamming a fist down on the counter and rattling her coffee cup. "In what way has he changed that can warrant me actually giving a damn about him?"

"He has friends now, people he can actually count on. Even when people learned of his past they still accepted him for who he was and, truth be told, they liked him more as a person once he opened up. If they could do it, so can you. Just give him a chance," Axel pleaded. The kitchen fell silent, neither making a move as each waited for the other to speak. Finally Rikku picked up her coffee and drained the cup, moving to put the mug in the sink.

"Roxas was always fragile," Rikku murmured. "If he's willing to give up on life once, he's willing to do it again. I wanted him to have a real life before that. House, family, job. He may be on the right track but I'll tell you right now that once a mirror is cracked it can't be returned to its former glory. It will always have cracks and as the years go on those cracks will widen and expand until the entire picture shatters. I've prepared myself for that day." Rikku turned towards the red head. "Have you?"

Axel was unable to answer. He watched as Rikku strode out of the kitchen and heard her footsteps on the stairs. His mind continued to churn for an answer to her question to the point he didn't hear Rikku leave for work. Axel felt like a robot as he staggered down the hallway towards Roxas's room. He looked around the empty space again, noticing it had a very different feel to it than when he first entered. It wasn't the room of a person who had been shunned by their family.

It was a room of someone who they already considered dead.

Axel stumbled over to the bed and flopped down onto the messy sheets, inhaling deeply the faint scent of the blonde lingering behind. He felt a stab in his heart as some semblance of truth echoed in Rikku's words. Roxas was indeed trying but he was also struggling. All too often Axel would find the teen staring sadly at a distant wall or hear from Pence Roxas stayed up most of the night pretending to be asleep.

' _Something has to change or I might lose him forever,'_ Axel thought, closing his eyes. Yet nothing came to mind as he slowly faded off to sleep.


	12. 12-Passionate Spring

**A/N-More new scenes! Don't worry, guys, the sun is going to come out on this fic! The rainy clouds will blow over and we'll finally get some "not so emo" Roxas. :D And because you've all been waiting so patiently, there's a bit of Akuroku lemoniness for ya. Just a reminder there is no citrus free version this time around (but if you're still keen on skipping, once Axel's turns on the shower you can jump to the first break and pass over the grit). Hope you enjoy!**

Roxas returned home an hour after he left and he shut the front door harder than he should have, although he wasn't caring too much as he knew his mother wasn't home. He stumbled as he pulled off his shoes and trudged back to his room, his eyes feeling heavy as he thought of returning to sleep. Yet when he opened his door, thoughts of sleep dissipated at the sight of Axel sprawled out on his bed. As Roxas drew closer, he could see the strain on his boyfriend's face and it worried him. He prodded the man's side a few times before giving his shoulder a shake.

"Axel," he called out. The man moaned softly, his eyes pinching, as he slowly came around. When his green gaze found blue eyes staring back at him, the man wondered if his morning decided to repeat itself. "Ax, what's wrong?" Roxas asked.

The red head buried his face in the pillow. "Nothin'," he mumbled.

"Liar," Roxas countered. A frown morphed onto the blonde's lips. "My mom said something to you, didn't she?" Axel unearthed his face from the pillow and laid his head on its side to look the blonde in the eye once more.

"We didn't hit it off well," Axel stated.

"What did she say?" Roxas pressed, his tone a bit dark. Axel was about to turn his face away again when Roxas took hold of his hand, giving it a squeeze as his cerulean gaze pleaded for him to be honest. Axel averted his eyes to the mattress and pushed himself upright.

"We ended up arguing and when I mentioned…what happened back at Christmas…" Axel paused and looked to the teen to gauge his reaction. Roxas's expression remained unchanged, giving Axel the confidence he needed to continue. "She seemed perturbed but not all that surprised. In a nutshell, she basically said you were a time bomb waiting for the numbers to finally stop." Axel shifted his gaze to the mattress again and felt the following silence squeeze at his chest.

Yet it was dispelled when Roxas burst out laughing, the red head staring at his friend in utter confusion. Roxas fell back onto the floor clutching his side, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. Axel wondered if the teen had finally lost it. His surprise was renewed when Roxas rolled up and grabbed the sides of his face, pulling Axel into a deep kiss. Axel wavered as he was pulled forward and braced himself on the edge of the bed so he didn't land on top of the blonde. When Roxas pulled away, he rested his forehead against the elders and tried to contain his dwindling giggles.

"You're hilarious," Roxas chuckled.

"You're going to have to enlighten me because you're starting to make me wonder if you popped out of the looney bin," Axel admitted. Roxas smirked and slithered his way onto his bed so he sat behind the red head, wrapping his arms around the elder man's neck. The blonde nuzzled Axel's ear with his nose, his giggles vibrating against the man's neck.

"Did she use the mirror analogy?" Roxas asked.

"Uh, yeah," Axel replied, unsure how the blonde knew.

"I overheard my mom telling my sister that right before I went off to college. She makes it sound like I'm already dead," Roxas commented.

Axel frowned, shifting his shoulders and neck so he could look the blonde in the eye. "Rox, you shouldn't joke about being suicidal."

"I'm not. I'm being realistic. What's the point in pretending someone is already dead when they're still standing there beside you?" Roxas asked. He slid his hands up Axel's chest and dragged his fingertips along the man's neck until his fingers nestled in the sea of red spikes. As he spoke, he started playing with Axel's hair, folding it into simple plaits. "Ever since the incident at school, my family has been scared stiff that I'll off myself again. I'll admit there's been plenty of times I've thought about it but I only ever tried twice. Once you had the…experience of experiencing…" Roxas gently cleared his throat before continuing. "The other time was when I tried to OD at a party. I was so messed up I didn't even know what I was doing for three days. My parents tried to hush it up, keeping my usage a secret so I wouldn't go to jail, but it was hard to hide what I did to my brother." Axel felt the fingers stop with their folding, the blonde silent behind him. Roxas's hands slid out of his locks and down his spine before landing on the mattress with a thud. "I almost killed him…"

Roxas leaned his forehead in the space between Axel's shoulders and closed his eyes. "I tried so many ways apologizing to Ven and to everyone but there wasn't a point. It was then I came to realize that in attempt to harm myself, I instead harmed everyone else around me," the teen said, his voice heavy with remorse. "That happened the summer before I went off to college. It's also how I got my lip infected when Ven fought back. I stopped sneaking out and going to parties after that. Instead, I lived in my room waiting for the summer to end so I could finally get away. Ven got lucky and he healed up quick, but those are the kind of scars you can never remove. I was no better than Xigbar that day and I'll never forgive myself for what I did, but it doesn't matter what my mom says because I never gave up on my family. I never gave up on Ven and Naminé. I may have shoved everyone away from me who just wanted to help but deep down I didn't want them to leave. I didn't want them to leave me alone.

"Back at Halloween, my mind reverted to its old way of thinking and, well, you saw what happened." Roxas lifted his hands and curled his fingers into the fabric along the bottom hem of Axel's shirt. "But that Christmas opened my eyes again. You, Pence, Marluxia, Demyx, Zexion. You guys were all there for me when I just wanted to stay on the ground and you picked me back up telling me it was okay to fall. You didn't scold me like my mother did for tripping and landing on my face. That was the first time I had ever felt…" Roxas paused, humming under his breath. He gave a breathy chuckle and curled his fingers tighter into Axel's shirt. "I honestly don't even know what it is."

Roxas opened his eyes as he felt Axel shift and relaxed his fingers as the elder's lean digits folded over his hands. He released the fabric and looked up as Axel turned to face the teen, a warm smile on his face.

"I think I know," Axel guessed. "You felt like you belonged. You felt that even though they're just friends, they feel far closer than any family you ever had." Roxas looked deep into the man's peridot gaze, a soft glow filling his chest with warmth.

"Yeah," he breathed. "And I never want to leave."

The pair met halfway as their lips crashed together, their hands getting squished between their chests. Roxas let gravity take him as Axel leaned forward, causing them to flop down on the mattress. Axel managed to untangle his hands in time to catch himself, allowing Roxas to slide his hands up the man's chest and wrap them around his neck to pull him closer. His fingers tangled themselves in the ends of the elder's crimson locks, knuckles brushing past loose plaits still lingering behind. Roxas let out a small gasp as Axel went for his neck. Soft lips tickled his skin and pressed against his pulse.

"If you ever even so much as think of leaving this earth, I'm going to put a leash on those precious collars of yours," Axel threatened.

"Mmm," Roxas hummed, his voice caught in his throat as the red head continued to devour his neck. A wave of heat flew onto his checks as he felt one of Axel's hands slowly creep under his shirt. Fingers trailed over his skin, giving the teen goosebumps. Roxas resisted the urge to squirm as the fingers ghosted over his nipple, giving it a gentle rub, before continuing its path upwards. The cooler air brushed over his stomach, enriching the goosebumps he already had.

The sound of plastic vibrating against wood caught their attention and Axel turned his head to see who's phone it was. Roxas's phone danced across the desk as someone called his number, however the blonde seemed disinterested in who was trying to contact him as he pulled Axel's attention away from the phone so they could exchange some tongue twirling kisses.

"You should…answer it…" Axel panted between contact.

"They can wait," Roxas gasped. He was far more interested in exploring the inner workings of Axel's mouth. He released a soft moan as Axel pulled him up to pin the teen against the wall. His hips strained as the elder's hand ghosted back down his chest and followed the thin trail beneath his navel to where the hem of his shorts was located. Axel teased him by hooking one finger underneath the fabric but kept the elastic in place. Roxas lifted his hips ever so slightly to increase the pressure put against his groin and his pulse instantly escalated. He had never gone much farther than making out before, as he sure neither wanted to cross any boundaries, but now being together for three months made him want to go a step further. He wanted to explore Axel, feel him, make his body burn when they touched. The thought of that alone made him want to wriggle out of his clothes. He detangled his finger from the fiery locks and dragged his nails loosely down the man's spine.

As his fingers slipped beneath the fabric of Axel's shorts, his heart leapt into his throat as he heard keys jiggling in the lock of the front door. He shoved Axel away in a panic, rushing to adjust his clothes and hair as the red head watched on in confusion. It didn't take him long to understand why as he heard the front door open followed by the sound of heels clicking on linoleum. Axel leapt off the bed and adjusted his clothes before grabbing the first thing on hand, which was his phone, and propped himself up on Roxas's desk chair, attempting to look busy by swiping his finger over a blank screen. Roxas desperately searched for something but decided last minute to dive beneath the sheets, pulling the covers over his head as he pretended to be dozing. The hardest part wasn't slowing his breathing but getting the blush to leave his cheeks. He could still feel the rosy dusting on his face even with the threat of his mother closing in.

There was a pause as the sound of heels ceased. Then there was a knock on the door. Without an invitation, the barrier opened and Rikku's eyes scanned the room as she entered. She noted Axel intently on his phone while it appeared Roxas had gone back to sleep. Yet instead of leaving, her eyes made contact with the headphones poking out of Roxas's bag on the floor.

"You can pretend all you want but I know you're not asleep," Rikku announced. With much regret, Roxas peeled back the sheets and peered at his mother, keeping the fabric over the lower half of his face as long as possible.

"What do you want?" Roxas pressed.

"I called to ask you to meet me on the driveway with my portfolio I had forgotten in my room, however it seems you prefer to ignore your mother over making her life easier," Rikku quipped. She adjusted her purse on her shoulder as she returned the glare her son was sending her. "Seeing as you're far too busy to be useful, I'll just get it myself." With that, Rikku turned and shut the door behind her. The pair waited with bated breath as they heard her move upstairs. It seemed like an eternity until she came back down and left through the front door. Each waited for a whole minute after the house was left to them before they released the air in their lungs. They exchanged looks before they both broke into snickers, turning into full gut wrenching laughter as they came to realize how close they had been to getting caught.

"Okay, that was scary," Axel admitted.

"No kidding. Sorry for pushing you. My mom's not exactly open minded when it comes to…orientation," Roxas apologized.

"It's cool. We'll just have to keep it on the down low while we're here," Axel stated.

Roxas nodded, sitting up in his bed and throwing back the sheets. With his "personal plans" interrupted, Roxas felt more frustrated than ever and it made him want Axel more than ever. Yet he knew he wouldn't always get lucky with getting a warning phone call or hearing the doors unlock in time to pretend like nothing was going on. His parents were always dipping in and out of the house for various reasons and he cursed himself for forgetting. His eyes shifted to the red head sitting to his right and caught the elder's green eyes with his own. It was hard for him to tell what Axel was thinking as they stared at each other.

His eyes shifted upwards as Axel stood and offered a hand to the blonde. Roxas was hesitant to accept but when he did, he found himself being tugged along behind the red head. Axel led him across the hall and locked the bathroom door behind them. The teen was about to ask what they were doing when Axel turned on the shower.

"So what's…?" Roxas started to ask but was silenced as Axel's lips pressed over his own.

"Making an excuse," Axel whispered. "Love my morning showers."

"Uhn…you hate…morning showers," Roxas panted as Axel's body brushed against his own. He shivered as the man's lips left a trail of kisses over his jaw up to his ears.

"They don't have to know," the red head said, his voice rough. It made the blonde squirm and he braced himself against the bathroom counter as Axel leaned against him. "You seem bothered. Something on your mind?" Axel asked. He ran his tongue up the outer shell of Roxas's ear, enjoying the blush spreading over the blonde's face. His fingers pulled at the tank top the teen was wearing and Roxas let him pull it over his head to expose the scarred flesh beneath.

' _Oh shit…are we going to…in my bathroom?'_ Roxas thought when he managed to get his brain from shorting out. As Axel recaptured his lips, he let his brain white out all other thoughts. He released his death grip on the counter and wrapped his arms around the man's neck. Pulling himself upwards, he wrapped his legs around the other's torso and he found himself sitting atop the counter. His mind froze over as he felt Axel's groin brush against his own. All his previous inhibitions were shoved out the door as he wanted more and more, his body craving the touch of the other. Axel seemed to be in the same mindset as he pressed against the blonde, each devouring the others lips with their mouths.

Roxas's breath hitched as he felt warm flesh dip below his waistband and brush over his arousal. Without thinking, Roxas shoved his shorts and boxers down so he was exposed to the open air. The cool air made his skin prickle but it was nothing compared to the pressure swirling around him with Axel's fingers. Roxas released a loud moan, digging his nails into Axel's shoulders, and begged in his mind for more. He managed to dislodge one of his hands from the other's skin and reached into the dark depths below the waistband of Axel's shorts. As his fingers brushed against heat, he felt Axel stiffen against him, his head pulling back to let out a small moan. Roxas freed his prize and linked his fingers with Axel's around both their arousals.

"Fuck, Roxas…" Axel panted as they moved their hands. Roxas pressed his forehead against the man's chest, panting as they kept going. He felt hot breath against his neck as Axel continued to place kisses along his jaw, making Roxas feel dizzy. The pressure started to become too much and he dug his nails deeper into Axel's shoulder, his body feeling like a wound spring.

"Ax…I can't…" he panted. Stars shattered in his mind as he released and felt Axel bit down on his neck as his own body tensed. Then a rush of soft warmth spread over the blonde as the pleasure subsided. He slowly lifted his head to look up into Axel's eyes and they exchanged another round of kisses. As they pulled back, they started at each other for a moment before each releasing a breathy chuckle. "That was fucking awesome," Roxas breathed.

"Yeah," Axel agreed, attempting to regain his own breath. They unlocked each other's fingers and adjusted their shorts, each frowning at the remains lingering on their hands. They took turns washing it away and Axel turned off the shower. As Roxas put his hand on the doorknob to leave, he turned as Axel tapped him on the shoulder. The red head surprised him with a deep kiss, filling the teen with happiness and bliss. "Remember," Axel stated, "this is our little secret." Roxas stared at the red head as he put his hand over the blonde's and opened the door to head back to Roxas's room.

"You did not just quote _Lion King_!" Roxas protested, chasing after the elder. Axel burst out laughing and fell into a fit of giggles as Roxas tackled him, the pair falling back onto the bed in each other's arms.

XxXxX

Roxas sat lopsided on his bed with his phone open on the internet as he waited for Axel to finish his homework for the day. That was one thing he was not looking forward to in his later years of college: the insane workload. He was already having a hard enough time fitting in work with his classes and free time, but having his homework and studies practically double each year was rather daunting. He remembered when he thought high school had a lot of homework but looking back it was almost laughable how little it actually amounted to. Placing his phone on his chest, he looked over at the red head working away at a thick textbook. His eyes wondered down along the man's jawline to where he had a pen propped against his chin. Perched atop his nose were his slim reading glasses that he only pulled out when he was doing some serious studying. Roxas hated to admit that his boyfriend looked amazing even while being intense and focused.

All sorts of delicious thoughts began floating through his head and he thought of sneaking a picture just so he could stare at it later. He quickly shoved the idea from his head and mentally kicked himself for sounding like a rabid fan girl. Axel wasn't an item for him to oogle at. Although Roxas wouldn't mind sitting and admiring the red head up close all day long.

His focus came back to reality as Axel turned a page in his book. The man glanced out of the corner of his eye and spotted Roxas staring at him, bringing a smirk to his lips. "Bored, huh?"

"No, just watching you work," Roxas replied.

"That would bore me to tears," Axel admitted, "although I suppose I enjoy watching you work so it's more like an inverse relationship. If you get too bored just let me know. We can head back into the metro and do something fun since we're, you know, on break."

Roxas chuckled and folded his hands behind his head, leaning back against the wall. "Maybe later. I was thinking of taking Ven and Naminé out to dinner tonight. We never ate out much as a family so I think they'd enjoy trying something a bit fancier," the blonde mused.

"Oh. Have fun then." Roxas frowned and chucked his pillow at the red head, Axel chuckling as he blocked it from hitting his face.

"You're coming too!" the teen protested.

"I know, but I couldn't resist teasing you," Axel admitted. He looked over his current page and flipped it back and forth a few times. Then he shut his book and set his glasses on the desk, brushing his unruly hair from his face. He checked the time on his phone, finding it close to three, and looked over at the blonde. "When do Ven and Naminé normally get home from school?"

"Three thirty," Roxas replied, checking the time on his phone himself. "If we're lucky, we can slip out before my mom gets home but with my luck she'll walk out of the woodwork to scold me for sneezing in a way she doesn't like."

"Well, I need a break," Axel announced, moving to sit on the bed next to the teen. He released a happy sigh and closed his eyes to rid himself of his eye strain. "What should we talk about?"

"Whatever works," Roxas replied with a shrug. "Wouldn't you rather just take a nap or something though?"

"Nah. I want to get to know you better." Axel cracked open his eyes and smiled down at the blonde, making a light blush dust the teen's face.

"I thought you knew me pretty well already," Roxas muttered, finding himself falling into Axel's trap once again. He made a mental note to find a way to resist the red head or he feared he would melt for the man each time he snapped his long fingers. ' _Although maybe that wouldn't be so bad…'_ He sucked in his breath as Axel leaned in close, his breath ghosting over the teen's cheeks.

"I want to know everything about you," Axel said, his voice entrancing. Roxas swallowed the thick glob of saliva in his throat and resisted the temptation to tackle the man to the bed. He adjusted his position so he was looking at the wall across the room and mentally ordered his pulse to calm down. Axel went back to leaning his head against the wall with his eyes shut, giving Roxas a reprieve from his mental strain. "Okay, first question. Who were all your previous crushes?"

Roxas drummed his fingers against his leg. "Well, there's Aerith but I'm not sure if I really liked her more than just a really good friend. There were a few times she made me jittery but even when we would go on dates I could tell she was hiding something. I later found out she really liked Cloud and our relationship started to dissolve from there. I first figured out I was bi when I got a crush on one of the football captains. Good God, those abs! I wanted to melt on them." Roxas found himself spacing out and he shook his head to clear it. "There were a couple other short crushes but they didn't last more than a couple weeks. You were the first person I seriously went out with. And you?"

"Eh, just a couple of dates in high school but they didn't add up to much. Larxene, you remember her right? She wanted to date for awhile but I just wasn't into it so we became close friends instead." Axel paused to think of another question. "Is there something you always wanted and could never have?"

"Funny you should ask," Roxas commented. Axel peeked out from beneath his eyelids and found the blonde's face was rather sullen. "I always wanted to go to the beach. Sure, I've been to a few small beaches on lakes but I wanted to go to one where I couldn't see where the sand ended, where the waves sounded like music as they crashed against the shore. I've been trying to go for years, either with friends or family, but something always came up to derail my plans." The blonde hummed softly, his fingers ceasing their movements. "I guess it sounds kind of lame."

"I don't think so," Axel rebutted. "What if we went over this summer?" Roxas instantly perked up, his eyes shining like crystals as his hopes were uplifted.

"Really?" he squeaked.

"Yeah. I'd say we could go as just the two of us but the guys would kill us if we didn't invite them along. I'll talk to Marluxia when he gets back and we can iron out some details. There's a resort not too far from campus we could go to," Axel stated. Roxas felt like a little kid being told he was going to Disney for the first time. Although Roxas remembered his Disney trip as being mostly ungodly hot, crowded and his mother screeching every other second for him and Naminé not to get lost while the two year old Ven slept most of the time in his backpack harness on his dad's back. Not his favorite trip. But the excitement of being told was the same. Roxas wanted the rest of the semester to fly by so he could go to the beach, the desire growing in him by the second.

Before he could ask Axel the same question, his cheer was swatted down by the sound of keys in the lock again. The entire atmosphere of the house seemed to dampen as high heels began to click on linoleum. Axel shuffled off the bed and moved over to the desk, opening his textbook once more to see what he should look over next until the pair left for dinner. Roxas let out an angry huff and flopped down on his bed so he was lying on it backward. His eyes shifted to his door as he heard a knock and an all too familiar frown returned to his face.

Rikku entered the room, despite not getting a reply again, and her eyes scanned the room's contents once more. She spotted Axel musing over a textbook while Roxas glared at her from his bed. She folded her arms across her chest, her jaw tightening at the sight of her son.

"I don't suppose you left your room all day?" Rikku snipped.

"Not really," Roxas replied.

"Hmph. Lazy as ever. At least your friend as the decency to study during his time off," his mother pointed out. Axel felt like the statement was more of an insult directed at him than to Roxas but he didn't dare voice his thoughts aloud. Roxas rolled over and stood, stretching his arms above his head with a pop. "What's that on your neck?" Rikku asked.

Roxas paused. "What?" He lowered his arms to his sides as his mother strode over and pried back his shirt, peering at the mark on his neck. "I probably just scratched myself too hard or something." Behind him, Axel felt his heart freeze over in his chest. He knew exactly what was on Roxas's neck. He whirled around as there was a loud crack and found Roxas staring at the floor with a confused expression, his mother's features livid.

"You filthy whore!" she spat. Her glare turned on the red head, making the man flinch under the heat of her cold eyes. "How dare you bring that… _thing_ …into my house!"

Roxas jerked his head upright, his eyes turning an all new level of livid. "Take that back," Roxas hissed, his voice seething.

"How dare you take that tone with me," Rikku scolded. "You'd rather damn yourself to Hell than listen to your own mother? What have I told you before?!"

"I'd much rather burn in Hell than live with you!" Roxas snapped. "Unlike you, Axel actually cares about me. Who gives a fuck if it's a guy? I swear, you just don't want me to be happy with my life."

"I'm trying to save your life!" Rikku argued.

"By doing what? You'd rather hide me in the closet or sweep me under a rug than actually come to terms with who I am. I'm bi, mom. I have the right to choose!" Roxas shot back. "Plus you've never even saved my life when it really mattered. Axel did! He was there when I wanted to give up and he's been with me every step of the way since then."

"He's just using you!" Roxas lunged at his mother but was held back as Axel grabbed his shoulders and yanked him back. He turned to demand to be let go but he found Axel's gaze turned to the floor, his eyes covered in the shadows from his bangs.

"Don't," Axel pleaded. "Please don't."

"Ax…"

"It's not worth it," the red head interrupted. The grip on Roxas's shoulders tightened and the teen could tell Axel was just as torn up as he was. Roxas turned back to his mother, who was glaring at the pair a couple steps back from where she originally stood. Her arms were held up defensively but as Roxas's temper calmed, she slowly lowered them to her sides.

"I should have you arrested," Rikku stated. "For what you did to Ven and to the rest of this family. I sat quiet and pulled dozens of strings to keep you out of jail and not once did you ever thank me for it."

"I never asked you to. You did all of that yourself just so you could keep up your "prestigious" image. Heaven forbid the world learned your son likes someone with a dick," Roxas sneered.

Rikku bared her teeth, her hands curling into fists. "You think this is about public image?!" she screeched.

"No shit! I don't give two fucks of what people think of me anymore. I grew up. Why can't you stop being a blind old hag and actually look at yourself in a mirror? You turned yourself in a pretentious bitch!" the teen barked.

"Don't take that tone with me. You're still a snot-nosed teen who doesn't have a clue what to do with his life. I know far more about the real world…"

"Says who? You?" Roxas scoffed, causing Rikku's face to pinch further. "Why should I bother listening to you when you don't even listen to me?"

"Because I've heard nothing but lies come from your mouth ever since the day we brought you back from the hospital!" Rikku shouted.

"That's bullshit!"

"I've been dealing with your bullshit for the past three years so what's a little bit more, huh?!" Rikku angrily shoved the loose hairs from her face and sent a condescending look towards her son. "Fine. Be a bitch and whore yourself out to the world. See what I care. But when you leave tomorrow, don't you dare show your face in my house again or I will have you arrested!" Rikku threatened.

"Mom!" The trio's gave snapped to the doorway where Naminé and Ven stood staring in horror, both having come home from school. "Mom, you can't do that to Roxas!" Naminé protested.

"Ven! Naminé! Go to your rooms!" Rikku ordered. Naminé pushed Ven behind her protectively while Ven looked like he was about to cry. Roxas didn't blame him. Most of his home memories were of his family arguing.

"Why don't you leave them alone," Roxas snapped. "Don't take your anger out on them if you're pissed off at me." Rikku whirled back around to face her elder son. Roxas murmured some reassurance to the man holding him back and Axel lowered his hands from the blonde's shoulders, although he was a bit resistant to do so. The red head became confused when Roxas took one of his hands in his own.

"I don't take orders from you," Rikku protested.

"And I don't take orders from you," Roxas shot back. Before he could even react, Axel was yanked down and his eyes snapped open as Roxas pressed their lips together. Naminé squealed as a blush spread over her face and she quickly covered Ven's eyes. Rikku's face turned a few shades paler as she watched in horror as Roxas's tangle his fingers into Axel's hair. As Roxas pulled away, the house fell silent. Rikku kept her lips pressed tightly together as she left the room, not even excusing herself as she crashed into Naminé. Naminé pulled her hands away from Ven's face and tried to form words in her mouth.

She never got the chance to speak as Axel's eyes rolled up in his head and his knees gave out. Roxas gave a shout and hooked his arms under the man's armpits just in time to keep him from collapsing. Naminé rushed over and helped her brother get Axel on the bed. The man groaned as his brain tried to recover and he moved a hand over his eyes to block out the light as a migraine began forming behind his skull.

"What was that all about?" Naminé asked.

Roxas shot his sister a smirk. "Oh, you know, pissing mom off like usual," he joked. Ven wandered over and sat on the edge of the bed by Axel's side. He looked over the red head before turning to his brother with a small scowl.

"You shouldn't kiss people randomly, Roxas," the boy scolded. "Look what you did to Axel. He's probably going to be all confused when he wakes up."

Naminé's cheeks puffed out as she managed to stop herself from busting out laughing. She covered her mouth with a hand to stifle her giggles. "Yeah, Roxas," she said, barely keeping her composure. "You might scare the poor man." Ven shot his sister a stern look, as from what he could tell it wasn't a laughing matter, but it didn't last long as Roxas ruffled his hair.

"Sorry, Ven. I just couldn't stop myself," Roxas said sarcastically. "Axel's just so hot, you know?"

"Hot or not, you should ask for permission first," Ven protested.

Roxas chuckled, crouching down so he was eye level with his brother. "Alright. I'll be sure to ask him next time." A devious spark gleamed in the elder brother's eye. "But I don't need permission for you!" He swept Ven up in his arms and planted a big kiss on his brother's cheek, Ven instantly voicing his protests as he attempted to squirm out of his brother's grasp.

"Ew! Ew! Roxas, no that's gross!" Ven whined. "Naminé! Help me!" His desperate cries fell on deaf ears as Naminé doubled over in laughter, water brimming in her eyes.

"Roxas, don't tease your brother." The siblings spun towards the doorway where their dad leaned against the frame, a smirk on his face as he watched his children enjoying themselves together for the first time in years.

"Dad! What are you doing home so early?" Naminé asked, wiping the water from her eyes. Roxas set Ven down on his feet, the youngest sibling sticking his tongue out at the eldest in protest.

"Took some time off to see my kids," Auron replied. "But I see they're all having fun without me. Looks like I was worried for nothing." His eyes shifted over to the red head recovering on the bed. "Ven, Naminé, why don't you go get some homework done? I'm sure Roxas wants to take you out for dinner tonight and I'm sure you'll have no motivation to get it done when you get back."

"Really?!" Ven and Naminé said together, their bright eyes turning to their older brother.

Roxas shrugged. "Yeah. Go get your homework done," he agreed. The younger pair rushed to their rooms so they could get as much homework done before they left as possible. Auron pulled himself upright and wandered over to the bedside. "He got a bit overworked this afternoon," Roxas explained.

"Uh huh. Couldn't keep your hands off each other," Auron commented. Roxas's face turned beet red and he attempted to stammer an excuse. "Roxas, when you share the same bed for the night it's pretty obvious you care for someone, especially when it's a single." The teen was rendered speechless and he averted his gaze to the bed, watching as Axel faded in and out of consciousness. "You really like him, huh?"

Roxas chewed on his lip piercing, his eyes softening. "Yeah…" he murmured. He flinched as his dad's big hand landed on his head and ruffled his hair around.

"Well, you're big enough to make your own decisions. I'll be here supporting you with whoever you chose to make your life with. Just no weirdos," Auron requested.

"I don't date weirdos," Roxas protested, looking up at his dad's face. Auron smirked and gave his son's hair one last ruffle before shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Is he going to be okay?" Auron asked, nodding to Axel.

"I think so. Mom really shook him up," Roxas replied.

Auron grunted softly. "Make sure he's okay before you head out to eat. I don't want him getting a concussion if he passes out on the sidewalk." Auron watched as new light appeared in his son's eyes. He chuckled and pulled the teen into a tight embrace. "There's my Roxas," he murmured. He felt the teen's small arms wrap around his middle, Roxas pressing the side of his face into his father's chest.

"Thanks, dad," the blonde whispered. His fingers dug into the elder male's suit jacket as a stray tear leaked out of the corner of his eye. Auron merely hummed under his breath, a light smile ghosting over his lips.

"No problem, kid."

XxXxX

Axel managed to recover over the next hour, although he had a splitting headache when he did. After a glass of water and a few Tylenol, he deemed himself worthy of being able to move around. Roxas rounded up his siblings and they piled into Roxas's car, the group headed for the metro for the evening. Ven and Naminé were bubbling with excitement in the backseat while the red head sat quietly up front. As they entered the heart of the city, Axel had most of the color back to his face and he was just as eager as the younger siblings to get some food.

Roxas took them to a blended Asian restaurant that made dishes from all over the eastern continent. From Korean barbeque to hibachi to pho to curry. Roxas had Ven and Naminé pick out what they would try out for the evening and the younger pair decided on Korean barbeque. They sat around the table and the waitress started up their in-table grill while explaining how to cook the meats. When the food came, Axel became the master of meat as he grilled it up to a tasty perfection. Naminé and Ven quickly grew to like the red head and, much to Roxas's embarrassment, the younger siblings would tell stories from their past as they ate. Axel had a smile on his face almost for the entire dinner so Roxas endured his siblings' torment. He even managed to surprise himself with how much fun he had.

With food in their stomachs, the group headed downtown to where all the little shops were located. They split up for a bit with Roxas sticking with Naminé as they ventured through the curio shops while Axel escorted Ven towards the local comic book and table top store. Roxas rolled his eyes as he heard Ven scolding Axel on not knowing what Magic: The Gathering was as the pair continued farther down the street.

Roxas slipped into the store and looked around for his sister. He found Naminé towards the back admiring some of the antique china pieces, a cute little smile on her face as she browsed. "So are you and Axel together then?" the girl asked, peeking over her shoulder towards her brother. Roxas wandered to her side and slipped his hands into his jacket pockets.

"Yeah. I wasn't planning on telling you until later but I guess I lost my head," the male said with a chuckle. "Hope you're not too cross about it."

Naminé scoffed, making a dramatic pose. "Oh, Roxas! You have damaged my poor tender heart. I'm not sure if I shall ever go on with my life."

"You've been hanging around with the drama kids too much," Roxas teased. Naminé giggled and clasped her hands behind her back, resuming her browsing. She looked over some china figurines one at a time, turning each one over in her fingers.

"I'm glad you found someone you can be yourself around." She picked up a small black and white cat and held it up to show Roxas with a small meow. The elder blonde tried not think about the irony as Naminé replaced the figure to the shelf. "You know, when you picked up Ven, I saw something today." She turned to her brother and Roxas was surprised how bittersweet her expression was. "I saw my old brother for the first time in years. The one we called a dork and teased because we thought it was funny. The one we thought had died all those years ago." Naminé's eyes widened as Roxas spread his arms out wide, allowing her emotions to leak from her strong resolve. She dove into a tight embrace, pressing her face into her brother's jacket. "I missed you so much," she whispered.

"Well, it's not the old me who came back," Roxas corrected. "Think of it as Roxas version 4.0 with updates already well on their way."

Naminé smiled, her tears absorbing into the fabric of her brother's jacket. "I think it's the best version yet," she muttered. Roxas gave her a squeeze before releasing her, wiping the stray water from her face as she composed herself. "Right. Let's go to the shop next door. I spotting some interesting things in the window that I'm thinking of sketching." Roxas agreed and told her to go on ahead. As she left, his eyes shifted to the back wall.

When the group met up again, Ven was still talking Axel's ear off about how to play Magic, although he would constantly digress to talk about other card games he was wanting to try out when he finally got a job to buy the cards. Naminé had bought an antique frame while Roxas sported a very tiny bag of his own on his wrist. Ven demanded to know what was in it but Roxas quickly shut him down saying it was for a secret mission.

They ended off the night at the movies before heading home to get Ven to bed as he had school the next day. The boy protested, saying he wanted to stay up late for once, yet he dozed off in the car ride back to the suburbs. Roxas carried his brother to bed before retiring for the night himself. Morning came soon and Roxas had to scrape his body out of bed again to take his siblings to school while Axel slept on. When he returned, he promptly curled up against Axel's chest and returned to his peaceful slumber. As he faded on the edges of unconsciousness, he realized that he had hadn't used his headphones the entire time he was home. By the time he fell asleep, a faint smile remained on his face.

The pair woke late in the morning to find the house quiet. After getting ready, they headed into the metro for lunch and then set their sights back to campus. Roxas left a personal sticky note for each of his siblings in their rooms as he didn't get to say goodbye in person but he knew he would be contacting them more often in the future. Upon return to campus, it was late and the pair felt like zombies from the long drive and the mental strain traffic had placed upon their minds. Roxas decided to spend the night at Axel's place and hauled his bag upstairs so he would have clothes to change into.

As he dug around in his bag for his pajamas, his fingers brushed over something smooth along the bottom. Roxas shoved aside his clothes and pulled out a blank envelope. After looking it over, he opened it to find a note and a folded piece of paper inside from Naminé.

 _Good luck, Roxas! We'll miss you._

The blonde smirked and unfolded the paper that came with the letter. The smirk slipped from his face and he felt a deep churning within his chest as he looked over what Naminé gave him. His fingers traced over the lines his sister created on the paper and a rush of warmth spread down to his toes. Naminé had sketched Roxas and Axel together at the Korean barbeque table. Axel had a bright smile on his face as he talked to the waitress, who was not depicted on the page, while Roxas peered at the meat piled on up the various plates. If anyone was looking at the top half of the picture, it looked like a couple of guys having fun with Axel flirting with the waitress and Roxas totally clueless with how to use a grill.

Yet it was the bottom half of the picture that made Roxas's heart swell. Beneath the table, out of sight of everyone, their hands were clasped together.

"Thanks, Nam," he whispered. He rose to his feet and laid the picture out for Axel to see when he had finished brushing his teeth. He remembered his purchase from the other night and dug it out of his bag, taking care to unwrap it from its tissue paper coffin. Roxas retrieved the little black and white cat figurine and set it on the desk near the top of the drawing. Then he took a step back and admired his work for a moment.

"Rox, bathroom's open," Axel announced as he stepped into the room. The blonde realized he had yet to find his pajamas and hurried to his bag to find them. He ended up having to dump out most of his clothes on the floor to find his shorts and by the time he managed to stuff his clothes back into the bag, he spotted Axel lifting up the drawing from the desk.

"You'll have to thank Naminé for that," Roxas said as he walked quickly towards the door. Before he could get out of the doorway, he was caught by the wrist and pulled into a deep kiss, Axel's hands caressing his face. Roxas felt his pajamas slip out of his fingers and he moved his hands to tangle his fingers in the man's red locks. As they pulled back to breathe, Roxas chuckled and nuzzled his cheek against the elders. "Shit," he murmured.

"What?" Axel pressed.

"I broke Ven's promise," Roxas stated. "He said I need to ask for permission before I go around randomly kissing people."

"Well, technically I kissed you first," Axel corrected.

Roxas chuckled. "I suppose so. Does that mean I have permission to kiss you whenever I want?"

"What sort of lame ass question is that?" the red head countered, cutting off whatever reply Roxas had on his mind as their lips sealed together once more.


	13. 13-Whipped Cream and Cherries

**A/N-Put on your birthday hats and break out the cake and ice cream. :) Read and enjoy!**

Spring break soon passed by and the focus on campus turned towards summer. With less than a dozen weeks left, the looming threat of finals crept closer and closer with each day. Graduating seniors began to busy themselves with job searches or grad school applications as they next stage in their life approached. The cold faded into a gentle warmth that melted the snow into large puddles, soaking pant hems and shoes alike. As the month morphed into April, the weather became warm and brought in waves of rain. The campus looked like it was flooding most of the time with full gutters and standing water sitting on the grass. The grey sky melted with the snow into the light blue that everyone had missed during the cold, winter months.

While most of the campus set their sights on May, Roxas was far more concerned with the month that came before and what lingered within it.

Axel's birthday.

He had never gotten Axel a real gift before, save maybe the small ceramic cat that now sat next to his desk lamp. He didn't have the faintest idea of what Axel would want for his birthday and he knew as soon as he asked the red head, he would dismiss the idea of presents so Roxas wouldn't worry. The teen had put it off as long as possible, wracking his brains every day for some scrap of evidence that would trigger inspiration, but he was going to have to face the inevitable. He was going to have to talk to Marluxia.

Yet even after coming to this realization, he had a hard time actually finding time to ask the pink haired man a simple question. Marluxia was swamped with school and operating his new business so he hardly left his room unless the noise level became too much to bear. Whenever Roxas managed to find a glimmer of an opening, he couldn't ask due to Axel being present somewhere in the room studying for tests and finals. He thought of texting the man or sending him an e-mail, but he deemed it a worthless effort as the man got almost a hundred of each per day. Leaving a note was out of the question as he feared Axel would see it, leaving Roxas to continually search for a thirty second window over the first couple weeks of April. It didn't help a lot of his own free time was eaten up with work, studies, group projects and various homework.

Roxas was starting to feel like the universe was against him.

On a rainy afternoon, just a short week before Axel's birthday, he ventured downstairs with his heavy backpack cutting into his shoulders as he headed out to go to the townhouse. He spotted Zack out of the corner of his eyes roping in people to a study session he was hosting, which Roxas managed to narrowly avoid thanks to Pence returning from the grocery store to pick up more snacks. Roxas snagged his roommates elbow and steered them towards the wall where the mailboxes were.

"Keep your head down," Roxas hissed, glancing at Zack as he looked for his mailbox key. "Zack's on the attack again."

"The poor souls," Pence murmured, watching as a trio of relenting freshmen begin led towards the study lounge. "There's just no escape from him. He's like a leech."

"A very energetic leech," Roxas agreed. He filed through the mail, handing over Pence's share before finding an envelope addressed to him from the school. Roxas pried it open and found his application for Terra's spot was approved, giving him one less factor to worry about.

"Any luck with finding something for Axel?" Pence asked. The blonde shook his head and shut the mailbox door, returning his keys to his pocket. "You could get him a gallon of ice cream."

"Isn't food sort of the last ditch gift you get someone?" Roxas pressed.

"I thought you were looking for a last ditch gift?" Pence recalled. Roxas let out a huff and adjusted his backpack on his shoulders. "You'll think of something." The blonde managed a small smile, feeling a bit reassured by Pence's confidence. They bumped fists before parting ways, Pence doubling his pace as he spotted Zack re-emerging from the lounge to find more students to torment. Roxas headed in the opposite direction towards the parking ramp, his teeth gnawing on his lip piercing the entire way.

By the time he reached the townhouse, his lip was throbbing and he determined he would probably have to ice it. As he walked around to the passenger side of the car to get his backpack, he noticed a smear of pink disappear along the path towards the park. Roxas blinked, realizing he probably had this only one chance, and shut his car door without picking up his bag. He hurried after the pink haired man, quieting his steps when he noticed Marluxia was talking on the phone. His ears pricked as he overheard the elder talking and, although he didn't want to eavesdrop, he was curious to what Marluxia was discussing.

"No, no," the pink haired man said. He stopped walking and his shoulders stiffened. "What do you mean…again? No, that's not what I meant." There was a long pause. "Are you sure? No, the dates aren't the problem…right. No, I'll get back to you. Love you too." Marluxia hung up with a sigh and pocketed his phone. He ran a hand through his hair and turned to head back, startling himself when he spotted Roxas walking up to him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you wish to speak with me?" Marluxia asked.

"I didn't want to interrupt you," Roxas replied. Marluxia hummed thoughtfully and motioned further down the path. Roxas joined the elder on a morning stroll through the park, each taking in the nature around them on a much sunnier day. They stuck to the path as most of the grass, while looking innocent, was actually quite boggy. Stepping on it would squelch water into the cracks of shoes, dooming the socks beyond. "It's not very often I see you out of your room," Roxas commented as they walked.

Marluxia pulled out a box of strawberry Pocky from his back pocket and shared a piece with his companion. He cracked off the tip with his teeth and chewed the sugary treat for a moment before replying. "To say I'm exhausted feels like an understatement. My ass is all but dragging on the floor at night but I still have to figure out how to manage my time through one last year of college." The elder pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, closing his eyes to help block out the headache. "But I'll live. I've pushed through before so I can't give up yet. So what can I help you with today, Roxas?"

"I'm sure you're aware it's April," the blonde started.

"Mmm, yes. Axel's birthday," Marluxia mused.

"Do you know what he might want?" Roxas pressed.

"Besides you covered in whipped cream and cherries?" the elder teased, sending a sidelong look at the blonde. Roxas's cheeks and ears flushed at the thought, making Marluxia chuckle. "You know, I'll be honest. I've been so busy lately I haven't the faintest idea what Axel might like." Marluxia perked up suddenly and dropped a fist into the open palm of his opposite hand. "I know who might know the answer to our dilemma. Give me a moment." Marluxia pulled out his phone again and placed a call, nibbling on his Pocky as the line rang. "Hey, what…no. No, I just have a question." Marluxia rolled his eyes and switched his phone to his other ear. "I'm outside so of course…fine! What was Axel talking about the other day at dinner? No, it's for Roxas." Marluxia let out an angry huff. "I'm not paying you and if you're going to be that sour about it than…" The elder pulled the phone away from his ear and scowled at the screen.

"What happened?"

"He hung up, that snob," Marluxia grumbled. "By the way, try to avoid conversations with Seifer. You'd get more entertainment out of smashing your face against a brick wall." Marluxia slipped his phone back into his pocket and pulled out a fresh Pocky to chew on. "According to the brute, Axel mentioned he had wanted a nice pair of headphones like the ones you have."

Roxas gave the idea some thought. "I could try to get him a pair. Mine were custom made so I'll have a place a rush on shipping, but if I get the order in today I might be able to get it on time."

"Well, I won't inhibit your task any further. Best of luck, Roxas," Marluxia said with a bow of his head.

"I should be the one thanking you. Any more favors and I'll owe you my soul," Roxas joked.

The pair chuckled. "And I have a feeling Axel wouldn't be too happy about that." Roxas thanked the man again and hurried off to place his order while Marluxia followed him towards the townhouse at a much more leisurely pace.

XxXxX

Axel's birthday landed on a Thursday, which meant plans were a bit tame due to the fact many of them had classes the next day. Roxas was invited to join the townhouse crew out for dinner and they ate at a local sushi house. After two hours of stuffing themselves full of rolls, sake, appetizers and enough soy sauce to make their blood pressure want to scream, they headed back to the townhouse for a quiet evening. Roxas followed Axel upstairs to his room so they could finish up their homework for the day and tried to quell the ball of nerves eating away at his stomach.

As the red head settled down at his desk, Roxas pulled out a box from his backpack. He frowned at the box, as he didn't even have time to wrap it since it came in the mail that afternoon. He had paid an arm and a leg for the shipping in order to get it in two days so he hoped it was all worth it. Roxas took a quiet, calming breath and went over to Axel.

"Um, hey Ax?" he called out. The red head turned and peered at the box in the teen's arms. Roxas offered the senior the package and Axel looked it over before searching for his scissors. "Sorry I didn't wrap it."

"What are you talking about?" Axel questioned, finding his prize at the bottom of a drawer. "You have some top grade wrapping on this box. I'm amazed you managed to find it."

"Wha-…?" Axel burst out laughing as the blonde gave him the most blank and confused expression he had ever seen. The red head tapped his scissors against the cardboard.

"See? Wrapped in love and friendship. That's the best kind of wrapping paper," Axel explained. Roxas muttered an 'oh' while his cheeks dusted over with pink. Axel smirked and cut through the tape to the gift inside. The room went quiet as Axel ran his fingers over the shiny new plastic, making a whirlwind of worries explode in Roxas's head. What if he hated it? What if it was the wrong color? What if they were broken in the mail? His thoughts were abruptly halted as Axel stood and captured his lips in a tender embrace. "You stressed yourself out way too much over this," the red head murmured.

"I had to get you something," Roxas protested.

"That's not what I meant. I'm assuming you asked Marluxia about this?" The blonde nodded. "I was talking with Demyx at the time and I mentioned I was looking for a pair of headphones like yours, but they weren't for me. They were for my sister." Roxas felt his insides shatter but he managed to keep himself composed as Axel wrapped him up in a hug. The elder nuzzled his nose into the blonde's locks, giving his boyfriend a squeeze. "Thank you, Roxas. This was more than I could ever ask for." As Axel pulled away, he placed a kiss on the teen's forehead. "How about a test run?" Roxas couldn't bring himself to answer as the elder smiled at him. All he could do was clamp his jaw together and keep the saliva from blocking his windpipe. Weeks of stressing over a gift, not to mention a near panic attack with the gift arriving on time, and it wasn't even the right gift.

He watched Axel finished unboxing the headphones, the red head pausing as he noticed the detailing on the sides. On the ear pieces were plates of metal with a chakram engraved upon it and a droplet of fire burning above the design. Axel closed his eyes and muttered something under his breath Roxas didn't hear. The red head set aside the headphones his desk and placed his hands on the sides of Roxas's face, his green eyes piercing into blue.

"You are the most amazing, incredible, unbelievably adorable person in the entire world," Axel stated.

"But…" Roxas tried to protest.

"Nope. You don't get to back your way out of this one. Take your compliments like a man!" Axel teased. His hands moved and tickled at the blonde's sides until the teen cracked a smile of his own. "Come on, accept your compliments!"

"No!" Roxas protested. "I don't deserve them," he said while giggling. Axel managed to grab him from behind and locked the teen in his arms, fingers managing to find every ticklish spot on his torso. "Axel, stop…haha!"

"Only once you accept you're an amazing and wonderful person," Axel threatened.

"Okay, okay!" Roxas gasped. The tickling stopped and Roxas took in large gulps of air to keep his lungs inflated. Axel's fingers nestled his chin and tilted his face upwards until their lips connected, tongues twirling together until they were both breathless.

"I love you, Roxas," Axel murmured, resting his forehead against the teen's. Roxas felt his insides turn to putty as a warm glow spread from his chest all the way down to his toes. He closed his eyes and nestled his face against the elder's.

"I love you, too," he whispered.

They stood in silence as they enjoyed the simple presence of each other's company. Roxas had to admit it was nice feeling his worries melt away in the arms of the person he loved. He determined it was a feeling he would love to feel over and over again. The teen shifted in Axel's grasp so he could wrap his arms around the man's waist. The feeling of having someone to hold, someone he cared for, surrounding him filled him with a sense of contentment. He adjusted his position so his head rested on the front part of Axel's shoulder, mostly because his calves were burning from standing on his toes and he was sure Axel's neck was probably starting to cramp up. He felt the red head nuzzle his cheek into his blonde locks before the room was cast in silence once more.

"Do you want to know what I wanted for my birthday?" Axel asked in a soft tone.

Roxas smirked. "Me covered in whipped cream and cherries." He heart Axel snort as he bit back his laughter, the elder attempting to get the picture out of his mind.

"I hope you didn't come up with that by yourself," Axel remarked.

"Marluxia's words, not mine," Roxas replied.

"I see. No, I wanted something…well corny. Something that would show we're a couple like those stupid best friend necklaces girls wore in elementary school," Axel explained. "I tried to think of something a bit more mature, like a promise ring, but I just kept drawing a blank."

"And what sort of promise were you willing to make?" Roxas pressed. "You can't just have a promise ring if there's no promise."

Axel hummed under his breath as he thought about it, fingers trailing up and down the blonde's spine to the point it made his nerve tingle. "When our lives are over and we leave this world, we'll meet again in the next life so we can spend eternity together. That way we don't have to worry about the now and that once one of us leaves it's the end because we'll find each other again."

"Mmm, that does sound nice," Roxas murmured. He breathed in the scent of Axel's shirt and let his touch take his mind to faraway places. The only complaint he had was his dog collar was cutting into his neck, although he figured the metal spikes were probably hurting Axel more than it was hurting himself. He thought of taking it off when a different thought appeared in his mind. Roxas lifted his head from Axel's shoulder and looked up into the man's green gaze. "Close your eyes," he requested.

Axel wasn't sure what the blonde was getting at but did as he was asked. He felt the teen's arms slide away from his waist followed by a pause as the faint sound of metal clinking reached his ears. It didn't take him long to figure out what Roxas was doing as he felt fabric brush against his neck. When Roxas said he could open his eyes again, Axel found himself looking down in the smiling face of the teen. The red head tenderly brushed a hand over the collar around his neck, the fabric feeling out of place.

"Perfect," Roxas murmured, giving the collar a few small adjustments.

"What's this for?" Axel asked.

"It's a bit bigger than a ring but circles are still circles right?" Roxas replied.

"B-but this is your favorite…!"

"Exactly," the blonde interrupted. He placed both of his hands on the sides of the collar and closed his cerulean gaze. "Axel, with this gift I promise you that should we ever come to part, we shall meet again in the next life. If I leave first, I'll wait an eternity for you. If you leave first, I'll be sure not to be selfish and end my life foolishly since you'd probably haunt me as an angry spirit the rest of my life." Roxas opened his eyes again and slid his hands up to the sides of Axel's face. "My favorite dog collar for my favorite person in the world."

Axel hummed under his breath, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Thanks, Rox," he murmured. Their lips met halfway as their arms wrapped tighter around each other. When they parted, Roxas took a small step back and his foot landed on a piece of paper that had fallen out of his backpack. The paper slid across the carpet, due to Roxas's weight being on his toes, and his arms shot out as he fell back. A jolt of pain shot through his wrists as Axel caught them, preventing the teen from smashing his head on the edge of the bed.

"Shit, that scared me," Roxas breathed as Axel eased him onto the floor.

"You okay?" the red head asked. The teen gave a nod and took a few calming breaths to calm his racing pulse. Axel sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "You should be more careful. You always were a bit of a klutz."

"Oh, thanks," Roxas shot back. He gave the elder a shove with his body and they both burst out into laughter. It was short lived as Axel devoured Roxas's lips once more, the teen falling back onto the floor with the red head over him. Roxas moaned at the touch and tangled his fingers tighter into Axel's hair. His spine arched as the man's long fingers ghosted over his chest, trailing downwards towards his navel. "Ax…" he moaned.

"My, my. Axel never told me he got new carpet installed."

Roxas's body froze as the sound of a printer started to echo in his ears. When did that start? His eye shot over to the other desk in the room to where Marluxia sat backwards in his chair smirking at the pair on the floor. ' _When did he get there?!'_ He felt Axel's lips migrate to his ear where his teeth began to gently knead the cartilage of his ear.

"Ignore him," Axel breathed.

"No way!" Roxas put his hands on the man's chest and shoved him away, his face morphing into a scowl. Axel burst out laughing and rolled off of Roxas so he was lying on his back next to the teen. Roxas sat up and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Awh, don't be sour, Roxas," Marluxia teased. "I have to say, it's rather entertaining watching you…"

"NOPE! I don't want to hear it!" Roxas shouted, slamming his hands over his ears. Axel's laughter showed no signs of dying as the man rolled around on the carpet.

Demyx poked his head in the doorway to see what the ruckus was about and glanced at each of the trio in turn. "Did I miss something?" he asked.

"Just Axel and Roxas…" Marluxia started.

"Shut up!" Roxas barked, pressing his hands tighter over his ears. A sly smile spread over Demyx's face and Roxas instantly knew what he was planning. "Don't you dare!" Roxas bolted to his feet and chased the dirty blonde across the hall where Demyx barricaded himself in his room. "You guys are assholes." The sounds of Demyx's laughter from the other side of the door and Marluxia's chuckles from across the hall added to Axel's hysterics, making Roxas feel like he was out numbered. He determined he would have to hatch up a plan to get back at them by the time he moved in.

Roxas migrated back to Axel's room, finding the red head managing to overcome his laughter as he lie grinning on the floor. The red head held up a hand so the teen could help him off the floor, but Roxas merely gave the man a high five before proceeding to walk over to his backpack.

"Oh, that's cold!" Axel protested. He rolled up onto his feet and grabbed Roxas from behind, the blonde fearing the man was going to tickle him again. Instead, Axel planted a kiss on his cheek and ruffled his blonde locks.

Roxas found a smirk toying with his lips. "Happy birthday, Axel," he muttered. "Now get your homework done, you slacker."

"Marly! Roxas is yelling at me!" Axel whined, looking over at his roommate with a pout.

"It's good for you, Axel. Builds character," Marluxia responded. Then he turned back around in his chair and continued working on whatever he was printing. This time it was Roxas's turn to burst out laughing.

XxXxX

With the passing of Axel's birthday, the rest of April wasn't far behind. Rain passed away into bright sunshine and warmed the entire campus, drying off the grass once more. Flowers began to bud as the weather promised summer a few short weeks away. There was also the promise of finals in the air as students finished off their spring semester. Much like the fall, students nestled themselves in nooks and crannies to study themselves into insanity, although this time there was also the prospect of moving that lingered over some of their shoulders as well. Freshman had to move out of the dorms and graduating seniors were moving off campus forever, save the small percentage that stuck around for grad school.

Roxas stayed far away from the townhouse during the last couple weeks of school as he wasn't able to concentrate there. Between Terra and Lexaeus packing, the poor mixture of music clogging the air as people tried to drown the other others out, and the persistent bickering from lack of sleep was enough to grind the teen's nerves raw. Instead, he stuck around his own dorm room, Axel voicing his understanding via text messages they exchanged over study breaks.

One afternoon, Roxas was reading over his notes when he noticed Pence climbing up on his desk chair. He watched, rather surprised too, as Pence took down his Deathly Hallows poster. Roxas stared at the empty space on the wall, now feeling empty without the Harry Potter crew sprinting through the forest upon it.

"Is it that time already?" Roxas mused.

"I know, right?" Pence replied. "I have finals over the next three days and then I'm done by Thursday afternoon. Might as well get a handle on packing while I can. Plus it's a great excuse not to study anymore." Roxas chuckled, agreeing with his roommate fully as he himself had started packing odds and ends from his room away for the upcoming move. "When are you done again?"

"Friday morning."

"Ah, right. I suppose this is one of the last times we'll get to hang out here in our dorm. It makes me kind of sad. I'm going to miss this place," Pence mused, looking around the space. Roxas hadn't taken down his posters yet but it would only be a matter of time before the room would be as barren as when they moved in. A part of him wished the year wouldn't end yet he knew it was good that they were reaching out into the future with their lives.

"We'll still hang out next year," Roxas reassured. "We can get together for lunch when I'm on the main drag of campus for classes and it's not like we won't stop texting each other the second the semester ends."

Pence chuckled. "No, you're right. I'm going to miss having a quiet roommate, though."

"Hayner can't be that bad, can he?" The pair stared at each other for a moment before they both burst out laughing.

"Ah, I'll manage. Speaking of rooming, how's it going with you and Axel?" Pence asked. He rolled his poster and strung a rubber band around it before placing it on top of his desk. He turned to his roommate when he heard a thump, finding Roxas's face in contact with his own desk. Pence became a bit worried his roommate was falling back into a slump, especially when the blonde let out a long sigh.

But it was thankfully short lived as Roxas chuckled under his breath. "Oh, fuck Pence! I feel like one of those creepy fan girls. I just…ugh!" Roxas leaned back in his seat and stared at the ceiling above him, a distant, content countenance on his face. "He's just everything. I honestly can't even begin to describe how it feels. I just want to be with him all the time and even when we have to be apart, we're constantly talking to each other through texts. I love how he feels in my hands and me makes me feel like I'm fire when he touches me…" Roxas paused, glancing over at this roommate. "Sorry, too much information."

"No, I think it's sweet. I would think it would be normal to be head over heels in love with someone at some point in their lives and you just happened to find a really cool guy to reciprocate those feelings. Not everyone's that lucky," Pence reminded.

"I suppose you're right," Roxas muttered.

"Plus…" Pence venture over to his wardrobe and dug around until he pulled out a white bag stuffed with Kleenex. Roxas arched an eyebrow at the gift and Pence gave him a sheepish grin. "I couldn't find any tissue paper so I used "tissue" paper," the brunette explained.

"Creative," Roxas mused, accepting the gift. "I can't believe it's almost my birthday."

"Dude, you should be more excited about the fact you get the drink on your birthday this year," Pence reminded. "Even I can't even do that." Roxas pulled out the wad of tissues and piled them up on the edge of the desk. Underneath, he found a pair of CD's of deluxe versions of CD's he already owned. Roxas grinned at the limited edition cases and resisted the temptation of ripping off the packaging.

"I thought these sold out years ago," Roxas remarked.

"Well, you know, the internet is pretty handy," Pence replied. Roxas set aside his gift and embraced his friend tightly.

"Thank you, Pence. I'll never forget what you did for me," the blonde murmured.

"It's all good. Just promise to save me from Hayner when he gets too crazy," Pence requested. The pair burst out laughing, each of them leaving plenty of words unsaid as they returned to their daily grind but knowing full well what the other had on their mind. Some friendships were stronger than words and those were the ones that lasted.

XxXxX

When Thursday arrived, Roxas helped Pence pack up his van while the rest of his family helped move the majority of his stuff home for the summer. While he was officially done, he planned on sticking around until Friday night so he could celebrate Roxas's birthday with the rest of the group. When the pair returned to their room, it felt vague and barren. Roxas was mostly packed himself which meant the walls were now blank and their wardrobes near empty. The pair shared a moment of silence as they stared at the space, which was unceremoniously interrupted by Zack bursting into their doorway announcing one last group event he planned for the entire dorm. The younger pair managed to stammer out excuses not to go, Roxas had to study and Pence needed to help in some way, so they managed to slip out with a pass.

The next morning, Roxas finished off his final, to which he got a 4.0 for the semester which gave him the opportunity to plead his case to the University to give him more scholarship money. He didn't expect them to give it to him but he felt better knowing he at least tried. They checked out of their room, Zack scrutinizing every scratch and speck of dust, and the pair finished packing their vehicles. They said their farewells to Vanitas on the way out, thanking him for coming to their rescue on more than one occasion to save them from Zack's infernal activity nights.

From there they ventured out to the townhouse and found Sora already there waiting. Hayner and Olette were to join them later as they had afternoon finals, although it worked out better as the townhouse was bustling with activity. Terra and Lexaeus were busy moving out while many of the other tenants were packing for various trips. The trio of freshman watched from the roof of Pence's van, eating an entire box of popsicles in the process, as people moved in and out of the townhouse all morning while vehicles were packed up with belongings.

Once the morning died down into a quiet lunch, there was a brief reprieve throughout the building. It was short lived as the next step was to clean out the previous spaces, to which Sora only really had to do was vacuum the carpet whilst Roxas tried to comprehend what would soon be his room. Terra had cleaned up most of the room, the garbage thankfully gone, although there were still plenty of clothes scooted up against Seifer's bed. Pence helped his roommate clean his side of the room before moving up his belongings to fill the space once more. And Roxas finally opened the damn window to air the place out! He was glad Seifer was currently gone, although his reasons were why were vague at best. Even Terra had been clueless to why the man split in the middle of the week the second his finals were over.

As Roxas finished off unpacking, he wandered across the hall to see what Riku's room turned into. He was surprised to find the space much fuller than when Lexaeus had lived there. Posters now lined the walls and stacks of various electronics were piled up ranging from video game consoles to music speakers to piles of movies and CD's. Roxas wondered where Sora had managed to squirrel away so much stuff in his small dorm room.

Evening began to fall upon the campus and stomachs started to growl from a full day of running around. Hayner and Olette arrived shortly after Roxas finished unpacking and they were given the house tour. Then the group rounded up in the kitchen before heading out to eat to celebrate Roxas's twentieth birthday. The evening was filled with food, drinks and laughter as everyone pushed aside another year of school from their brains to finally relax until the short summer months came to an end once more. Roxas ordered only a small drink and he found the taste of alcohol left a bitter residue in his mouth. He sipped on it a few times before passing it off Demyx, who protested at first until he saw the discontent on the younger blonde's face. No one pushed or bribed Roxas to try more as they could all tell, be it through knowledge or intuition, that the no longer teen was very resistant towards his alcohol and it would have upset him if they tried.

After staying out late, Hayner and Olette took their leave while Pence went back to the townhouse to spend the night so he could get an early start for home in the morning. Roxas grabbed extra pillows and blankets and the pair sprawled out together in the basement, Pence taking the couch and Roxas lying on the pilfered cushions from the couch upstairs. They stayed up into the wee hours of the morning talking quietly with each other, their eyes staring up at the blackness of the ceiling. Roxas nodded off first, his voice trailing off mid-sentence. Pence chuckled after calling out to the blonde a couple times, curling up to let sleep take him as well.

By morning, Pence's early start turned into a late breakfast with his bleary eyed roommate. They ate cold cereal as their brains shook off the fog of sleep from the late night. Then Pence said his farewells for the summer, the pair exchanging hugs before he took off in his van towards home. Later that afternoon, Sora and Riku headed out as well to spend some time at home with Kairi. From what Roxas heard from Sora, the three of them had finally talked during spring break. They exchanged their feelings and apparently the only one who realized he wasn't overreacting with jealousy towards Kairi was Riku himself. That's when they planned to spend time together back home over the summer like they did during their childhood so they could start over fresh, this time without the drama. Sora promised to send Roxas plenty of pictures while he was gone and, just to rub it in, he planned on sending pictures of every single ice cream treat he ate over break. Roxas promised he would do the same and it soon became a silent competition of who could out ice cream the other.

With two more people out of the townhouse, the space became oddly quiet. Roxas stood on the main floor with an eerie sense of serenity floating around him, a feeling he rarely felt in the bustling townhouse. He wandered upstairs to see what Axel was up to and instead found Marluxia's bags littering the floor, barricading Axel on his bed as he looked at something on his phone. Roxas peered in through the doorway and found the pink haired man frowning at a pair of bags sitting on his own bed.

"Got enough stuff?" Roxas asked.

"That's what I'm deciding," Marluxia replied. "I'm going to be in Hong Kong for a week visiting a dear friend of mine before we both go to her next study abroad location in Iceland. She's going to be studying the geology out there. I'm going to be gone for twelve days but if you need anything, you have my number. Axel's going to take Demyx, Zexion and I to the airport early tomorrow morning so we'll be gone by the time you wake up."

"Where are those two going? They keep whispering to themselves as I pass by," Roxas commented.

"They're off to Jamaica for a three week vacation together. I don't know the exact details of their itinerary but I'm sure they'll be doing all sorts of…well, you know what those two do when they're alone. Speaking of alone." Marluxia turned and flashed Roxas a sly smile. "You and Axel are going to be by yourselves for an entire week. Don't destroy my room while I'm gone." Roxas's cheeks flushed as Marluxia shot him a wink and the blonde shuffled away from the doorway to the room across the hall. He knocked on the door and a ginning Demyx opening the door.

"Roxas! Perfect timing," the dirty blonde stated.

"Don't use Roxas as an excuse not to pack," Zexion snapped, propping his hands up on his hips. Demyx waved the thought away with his hand, ushering Roxas into the room where a pair of large suitcases took up much of the floor space. One was nearly full while the other was rather sparse.

"So, Jamaica," Roxas brought up.

"We're just going as a vacation," Zexion explained, folding some towels he had washed earlier that lay unfolded on his bed.

Demyx scoffed and put a hand in front of his face as he leaned down to whisper in Roxas's ear. "He's such a wuss. It's really for his birthday but he doesn't like it when I spend money on him," the musician explained.

"Because when you spend money, you spend all of your money," Zexion shot back, having overheard his boyfriend. "I hate it when you plan these lavish vacations for me. Save some of that money for school."

"Just enjoy it," Demyx countered. He sauntered over and placed a kiss on the shorter man's cheek, Zexion's face blushing as he continued to fold his towels with a scowl. "I can't help I want to spend everything on such a sexy guy." Roxas smirked as the tips of Zexion's ears glowed pink and he turned away from the blondes so he could hide his embarrassment. Demyx turned towards Roxas and propped his hands up on his hips. "So, what are you and Mr. Sexy Red Head going to do while we're gone?"

Roxas shrugged. "Probably lie on the floor and stare at the ceiling," he stated.

"Ouch. That's cold, Roxas. You can't hold out the juicy details forever," Demyx warned.

"I'm sure you'll hear more about it when we get back," Zexion rationalized. "And if not, I'm sure it wouldn't take much to juice it out of Roxas." The younger blonde recoiled as Zexion's sly eyes peeked over his shoulder.

"What? Why me?" Roxas protested.

"Because you'll be powerless against us," Demyx said in a cool and venomous voice. He loomed closer to Roxas and the younger blonde took a step back, panic starting to get his pulse racing.

"You wouldn't dare torture me. Axel wouldn't let you."

"Oh, Axel will let us alright," Demyx replied.

"Mm, or rather he'll have to choice but to let us," Zexion added, setting his towel down on top of the stack. He glided across the floor over to Roxas and wrapped an arm around the blonde's shoulders, although it felt more malicious than comforting. "You'll be easy to break," Zexion whispered in Roxas's ear.

"I'm stronger than you think," Roxas protested.

"Ah, but we know you're secret," Demyx chimed in, stepping closer to Roxas. The younger blonde tried to step away but Zexion's grip prevented him from doing so. Roxas felt Demyx's finger gently cup his chin so their blues eyes met. "Don't think we forgot about Halloween."

Roxas paled. "You wouldn't."

"Oh yes we would," Zexion countered. "It shouldn't be too hard to get Axel dressed in grunge after we drug him and tie him to the wall." Roxas shivered as the silver haired man breathy chuckle brushed against his ear. "You'll be powerless."

"…no…" Roxas attempt to defend himself sounded meek and pathetic. Even under a little bit of pressure he was already breaking and Axel wasn't even in the room for the pair to use against him. He failed to mute a tiny gasp as Zexion trailed one of his fingernails along the nerves of Roxas's neck. ' _Damn my weak constitution.'_

"Don't try to protest, Roxas," Demyx cooed. "We'll keep your little secret." Roxas pinched his eyes shut as he felt Zexion's fingers trail down his neck again. "Now, what are you planning to do with Axel?"

"Nothing if you keep torturing him." The pair of roommates looked up to find a less than pleased Axel standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. They let Roxas go and the blonde let out an exhale of relief before shying backwards out of reach.

"Awh, Ax, you ruined it. We were about to get him to spill the beans," Demyx complained.

"If anything happens, you'll hear about it when you get back," Axel stated. He motioned for Roxas to follow to give the pair some time to finish packing and the blonde eagerly scurried out of the room.

Zexion and Demyx exchanged looks before smirking at each other. "They're totally going to do it," Demyx said.

"Definitely," Zexion agreed. "Now finish packing already! We're leaving in the morning." Demyx yelped as Zexion threw a pillow at him before laughing and moving to look for some clothes to shove in his suitcase.

XxXxX

The next morning Roxas woke up confused. It took him a good ten minutes to realize he wasn't in his dorm and he was instead sleeping in what used to be Terra's bed. He frowned as the air around him smelt stale and he made a mental note to buy an air freshener for one of the wall plugs when he went to the store again. Crawling out of bed, he ventured down to the kitchen for some breakfast. As Marluxia had said, the apartment was void of life and it was even eerier than it had been the day before. Roxas eventually turned on some music on his phone just so he wouldn't get jittery.

After eating and checking the time, he wandered upstairs to Axel's room to find the red head passed out cold under his sheets. ' _He must have left and returned before I woke up,'_ Roxas thought. He smiled to himself and tip toed across the room, sliding into the bed next to the red head to doze. Yet he found he couldn't get his mind to turn off. Prying open his eyes, he watched Axel's face as he slept on, oblivious to the blonde lying next to him. It was strangely relaxing watching the red head's even breathing and it gave Roxas some time to examine Axel's face. Roxas brushed his fingertips over the man's cheeks, feeling the light stubble starting to form over his smooth skin.

Axel's face twitched and he groaned into his pillow, turning his face away from the window to block out the morning light. Roxas sat up and kneaded his knuckles into the elder man's back. Axel hummed in his throat and floated into a doze for a good ten minutes before he realized there was someone next to him. The red head peeked out from his pillow face shield and his vision cleared enough to see Roxas smiling at him

"Hey," the blonde greeted.

"Mmm, hey," Axel replied. "When did you get up?"

"About a half hour ago," Roxas stated. "Everyone make it to the airport on time?"

"Yeah. Say, Roxas, I never got you your birthday present," Axel realized. He pushed himself upright, Roxas's hands sliding back into his lap, and crawled out of bed. Roxas watched him shuffle over to his closest, rubbing the sleep from his eyes in the process, and pulled out a box no bigger than the palm of Axel's hand. "I had to save this for when no one else was around."

"Um, okay," Roxas said with a nervous chuckle. Axel strode over and offered the box to the blonde, who accepted it with a hint of hesitation. As Roxas examined the box, he frowned as Axel slipped out of the room. He wasn't sure if he should open it when Axel was gone or if he should wait for the red head to return. In the end, he waited and Axel returned a couple minutes later with his hands tucked behind his back. "What's going on?"

"Just open it," Axel said, nodding to the box. Roxas pulled off the lid and carefully extracted the contents. It looked like a metal coin with the number thirteen printed in roman numerals on one side, however Roxas could tell it was meant to be more of a tag as the coin was attacked to a metal loop. He looked up to ask Axel what it was and found the man's lips sealing over his own. As Roxas melted into the kiss, he felt something slid around his neck. When they broke, Roxas found his newest dog collar around his neck, the one Marluxia had gotten him for Christmas, and he ran his fingers over the accessory. Axel pulled the tag from Roxas's fingers and clipped it onto the dog collar, the cool metal resting on the soft hollow of the blonde's throat. The elder man's lips brushed over Roxas's cheek before tickling his earlobe. "Happy birthday, Roxas."

The blonde touched his fingers to the tag sitting on his throat and it filled him with a mixture of emotions. "I'm not sure I understand," Roxas admitted.

"Remember your promise?" Axel asked. Roxas thought back to the day he gave Axel his favorite dog collar and nodded. "This is my promise to you that we'll always be together. Life, death, it doesn't matter. I'll come running to you." The red head paused for a moment before he released a breathy chuckle, hiding his face in Roxas's shoulder out of embarrassment. "I sound so lame."

Roxas smirked and lifted Axel's face so they could look into each other's eyes. "I kind of like lame," he admitted. "Thanks, Axel." He pulled the red head into a deep kiss, feeling his rouge emotions washing away into a gentle warmth. As they pulled back, Axel pulled away to wander over to his desk. Roxas arched an eyebrow and watched the red head pull out his own dog collar from his desk drawer, only now it was adorned with a small tag of his own.

"I tried to find something cool or symbolic, but the day I went there was this sale going on and most of the tags were already gone," Axel explained. "I tried to pick out the ones that sort of matched but didn't look completely stupid." He showed the blonde his own collar and his circular tag had the number eight in roman numerals engraved on it. "It was either this or a pair of turtles." Roxas snorted and burst out laughing, falling back on the bed. He started singing the theme to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the red head rolled his eyes. "I didn't even watch the show. That was all Demyx."

Roxas managed to simmer down his laughter and sit up again, sliding off the bed to wrap his arms around the taller man's neck. "Numbers are cool," he said. "It's like we're secret agents or something."

"You watch too many cartoons," Axel chided. Roxas smiled against the other man's lips as they pressed together. Their mouths parted in unison, as if they knew what the other was thinking, and trailed their tongues over each other. Roxas moaned happily as he felt Axel's hands glide down his spine and he tangled his fingers into the ends of the man's red locks. They broke apart to gasp for air, their breathy pants brushing over each other's cheeks. "One week, huh?" Axel breathed.

"Yeah," Roxas murmured.

"What if I told you that wasn't your only present this year?" Axel asked. The blonde felt a rush of heat rise to his face before it dropped into the pits of his stomach. He felt Axel's arms pull him in a little bit closer and Roxas closed his eyes to relish in the feeling.

"Not a word to Demyx or Zexion," Roxas stated.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Axel agreed before their lips crashed together once more.


	14. 14-This Year's Love

**A/N- It's happening guys! A big fat shout out now that if you do not like lemons, please skip the first part of this chapter and proceed to the first section break because this chapter just opened a box of lemon Girl Scout Cookies to devour. Again, there will be no citrus free version but I will do my best to steer people around the lemony scenes in these A/N's for anyone who doesn't like in depth stuff. Read and enjoy! XD**

The combination of fear, panic, excitement, urgency and simple complacency was a rather unique, new experience. Roxas wasn't sure what to focus on as he attempted to devour Axel's lips while the red head reciprocated the gesture upon his own. His fingers slowly dragged through the crimson locks, feeling every texture that brushed over his warm skin. A happy hum sounded from his throat as Axel's lips migrated down his neck.

"I didn't think you were serious," Roxas murmured, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the sensation of Axel's lips trailing across his skin.

"About what?" Axel mumbled into the blonde's flesh.

"Over Christmas…you mentioned…birthday sex…" Roxas had a hard time keeping his nerves together as Axel's teeth scraped over his skin, sending chills down his spine. His fingers drifted from their nest of crimson fibers before sliding along Axel's neck and his chest. As they reached the elder man's waist, his fingers played with the hem of the shirt waiting there. Slowly, he crept his digits underneath the fabric and used his finger tips to crawl his hands up the man's chest. He felt goosebumps arise beneath his touch, cause a smirk to bloom upon his features. The blonde let out a moan as he felt Axel's hand slide beneath the hem of his pants and trail over the curvature of his ass. He released a small gasp as Axel picked him off the floor and pulled him closer to his chest, allowing Roxas to wrap his legs around the elder man's waist. While it was hard to hold his balance, Roxas rather liked sitting on the man's bony hips as it gave him a couple inches of height over the red head. Not that he had a problem being short but he liked to feel like the superior every now and then.

With the extra height, Roxas was able to pull Axel's shirt up to his collarbone before his armpits got in the way. Unable to let go of the blonde without dropping him, Axel paused in his kisses as he wondered how to get his shirt over his head. He staggered forward as Roxas suddenly leaned back, causing the blonde's back to smash into the thin space of wall between Axel's bed and desk. Before he could even ask if Roxas was alright, the blonde was tugging at the shirt once more. Axel relinquished the article of clothing, using the wall to brace the blonde, and returned to tasting the younger man's neck.

Roxas leaned his head back against the wall and let the warm tingles radiate through his body, his mind thickening to a heavy haze. Yet despite the haze, he could still think clearly, unlike whenever he had been stoned. His fingers loosened their grip on Axel's shirt and it slipped from his grasp where it came to a rest on the floor. Roxas slid his fingers around the hem of his own shirt and lifted it over his head, depositing it on top of the elder's. His breathing hitched in his chest as Axel's nails gently scraped over the skin on his chest. His mouth grew dry and his breathing started to become erratic.

"You're not trying very hard," Axel teased, lips brushing over the blonde's earlobe.

"Nngh…no…" Roxas attempted to protest. He shivered as Axel's other hand started to scrap over his skin, holding back a moan in his throat as it brushed against the side of his nipple.

"What's the matter? Cat got your…" Axel pressed his lips against the blondes, his tongue diving in and wrapping around the smaller of the two. Roxas's arms slid over the red head's shoulders and wrapped around his neck in order to deepen the kiss. As they broke, Axel licked his upper lip with his tongue, his Cheshire grin gleaming. "Tongue?" he finished. Before Roxas could answer, Axel grabbed Roxas by the ass and tossed the blonde onto the bed. Roxas steadied himself as he bounced on the springs and looked up to find Axel crawling up to him on hands and knees. The blonde found himself falling back as Axel crawled higher and higher over him until their lips met and his head was resting upon the pillow.

While their tongues danced around each other, Roxas felt a warmer pressure slide against his hips as Axel settled lower on top of him. His fingers trailed down the scar of Axel's spine and explored every crease, crack and bump there was so he could memorize every detail by touch. With his eyes closed, he felt like he could just float away and live in the feeling forever. Like floating on a cloud, or at least the clouds seen in movies. Real clouds just made everything wet. Roxas chuckled at his own train of thought and Axel sat back on the blonde's hips to give the blonde a strange look.

"What's so funny?" Axel asked.

Roxas smirked up at the red head. "Nothing," he replied.

"Liar," Axel shot back. "I'll just have to pry it out of you." His long fingers tickled the younger man's sides and Roxas failed to hold back his giggles. As he broke out laughing, Axel connected their lips again and Roxas released a happy sigh as his sides were released from their torture. He felt the long fingers travel farther south until they brushed under the hem of his boxers along his hip. They slid along his waist until they reached the button and took what seemed like an eternity to unclasp it. Axel's lips turned back to their work on Roxas's neck, sucking gently at the tender skin, while his nimble fingers began to drag down the metal tab.

"Fuck…" Roxas groaned out as Axel purposely put extra pressure on the blonde's groin as it moved. He felt a rush of warmth slide from his body down to his lower abdomen and his pants started to become rather uncomfortable. Axel purred against his neck, sending vibrations that seemed to rattle his spine. A heavy blush spread over his face as Axel's hand slipped between the layers of fabric to cup the hardening blonde. "God you…suck…" Roxas muttered.

"Oh?" Axel asked, licking the blonde's sensitive nerve. He could tell Roxas was trying to hold back but he wasn't going to let him. He gave the blonde a gentle squeeze and found the moan he was looking for buried deep within the younger man's throat. His fingers shifted so they were hooked around the waist band of Roxas's boxers and he gave them a tug, exposing a pale hip. Roxas caught the glint in Axel's eye and tried to word a protest but it was silenced as the red head began to places kisses along his sternum, diaphragm, and navel before softly brushing against his hip. "You seem to be enjoying it a lot more than you say you are."

Roxas couldn't argue there. He was loving every second Axel was touching him and each new touch sparked new tingles down his spine to the point he felt like he would have permanent nerves damage. His hands ghosted over the tops of Axel's shoulders, trailed through his crimson hair and tangled themselves up in the comforter beneath him. The cool fabric contrasted against his warm skin and it made him want to snuggle deeper into the fluff. His back arched ever so slightly as Axel began to drag the rest of his garments away from his body. Roxas kept his eyes closed as he felt himself be revealed as he knew if he looked at Axel's face his own would break out into a blush. He shifted his legs as Axel's hands guided his clothes along away and pulled his legs up towards his chest out of reflex to keep himself covered.

"Roxas," Axel called out. "Roxas, look at me." The blonde fought the urge but gave in, cracking open his lids. He found a pair of peridot gems staring back at him as a large hand slide up his cheek to cup his face. "It's okay. We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"It's…it's not that," Roxas replied. He wanted to look away from the intense green but he couldn't bring himself to do it. "I just don't want to screw this up. I mean it's…it's my first time…" A warm smile spread over Axel's lip and he pressed a kiss to the blonde's forehead.

"It's my first time too, you know," Axel reminded. "Don't feel like you have to hide from me. I want you to enjoy this." Roxas held his tongue but he managed to unhinge his legs and return them to a semi-normal position. "See, not so hard."

"Easy for you to say," Roxas muttered. Axel pulled the blonde in for a deep kiss, keeping their tongues to themselves for once, and tried to get Roxas to relax. The younger male's hands unclasped themselves from the bed sheets and found their way back along Axel's spine. They coasted over the rough skin before reaching fabric and followed it along to the clasp in the front. Axel let Roxas work on unhooking his button and zipper, hoping he was going slow enough for a first time. He wanted to make the moment last for as long as he could so Roxas wouldn't have a reason to forget it.

Axel felt fingers slide along the skin on his hips and he shifted his position so Roxas could slide them off. Freed from the confines of his clothes, Axel felt a bit bare, especially since he was in front of his best friend. When Roxas couldn't reach any farther, the red head kicked off the remains of his pants and boxers and sat back on his legs over the blonde's thighs. For a long moment they sat there staring at each other, eyes looking over every curve, mark and imperfection.

"You're really beautiful," Axel murmured, causing Roxas's face to turn bright red. Roxas found his hand unconsciously going to the only piece of fabric he was still wearing, his dog collar, and his fingers ran over the tag hanging against his throat.

"You going to draw me like one of your French girls?" Roxas asked with a serious face. Axel snorted as he held back a laugh and caught the blonde smirking back at him. He shifted so his hands sat on either side of Roxas's face, their eyes looking back at each other.

"All the talent in the world wouldn't be able to capture your beauty."

"Or yours."

Roxas pulled Axel down into a wild kiss with tongues battling each other for dominance. The extra skin on skin contact made the blonde's flesh feel like it was made of fire as each touch sent sparks through his body. He gasped as Axel ground their hips together and lost to the red head in his skirmish. He wasn't going to complain though. Every sensation was like a shot of some sort of magical drug to his brain and he never wanted it to end. The pair broke apart for air, lungs gasping as they tried to catch their breath. Axel brushed his thumb over the edge of Roxas's lips to wipe away the saliva lingering behind and found himself staring down at the panting blonde. The peppered blush on his cheeks and the semi-glazed look in his eyes made him look even more attractive and Axel found his mouth going dry just at the sight alone.

"Are we…?" Roxas started to ask.

"Yeah," Axel replied. "You ready?" The blonde nodded and shifted so he was sitting up on his elbows. Axel leaned in and licked under the younger man's chin, feeling the skin twitch as his jaw trembled. His tongue coasted down the bare flesh, lower and lower until it passed beneath the blonde trail below the navel. Axel's finger slid over the tender skin of Roxas's thighs and he placed a kiss on the end of the blonde's growing erection. Roxas sucked in his breath and tried to keep his breathing steady, failing miserably.

"Gah!" he gasped as he felt Axel's tongue lick the underside of his cock and his fingers tangled deep into the comforter as his body tightened at the sensation. When the red head took him in his mouth, Roxas wanted to buck his hips but he kept them firmly planted on the mattress so he didn't choke the man. But did he have to exercise his willpower to keep himself rooted. His toes curled and uncurled in the fabric of the comforter while a heavy blush coated his cheeks. Wave after wave of pleasure coursed through his body with each movement of Axel's tongue. "Axel…" he panted. "D-don't…you're making me go to…ah!" Roxas released a strangled moan as the red head's teeth slowly scraped down the skin of his arousal. Pressure began to build up inside his lower abdomen and every muscle in his body started to tighten like they were being pulled apart by a dungeon keeper.

Roxas threw his head back, his voice cracking as he called out Axel's name. His back arched painfully and a rush of heat washed over him as he released into the elder's mouth. The blonde panted heavily as he watched Axel slide his lips over his dick, tongue lapping up the remnants of semen that had escaped the confines of his mouth. Axel swallowed in a seductive manor before his tongue trailed over his bottom lip like a cat lapping up the last droplets of warm milk.

"That's…not fair…" Roxas complained. He released his muscles and fell back on the bed with a thump, draping an arm over his forehead. He shivered as Axel started placing kisses along his torso again, taking his time to trail upwards, while Roxas refueled his stamina. The blonde noted his fingertips were sore and glanced to the hand still lying on the bed. He could see strains in the fabric where his nails pulled to hard. Hopefully Axel wouldn't notice or mind because Roxas didn't have enough money in his budget to buy a new one.

"You know, you kind of taste like Pringles," Axel commented, folding his arms on top of Roxas's abdomen and resting his chin on top. The blonde peered down at him with a perplexed frown. "Salty, sweet and good to eat."

"Do I dare ask what kind of Pringles?" Roxas asked.

Axel chuckled and rose to his hands and knees again. Then he slide upwards and brushed his lips over the blonde's earlobe. "The best kind."

"Liar," Roxas shot back. He put a finger on Axel's lips, blocking off the elder from the kiss he wanted. Axel pouted but Roxas didn't budge from his position.

"Dill Pickle," Axel stated.

"Fucking pickles?" Roxas licked the skin on his arm and scowled at the salty taste of his own sweat. To his surprise, there was an herby bitterness that lingered in his mouth. It took him a moment to realize that it was from a bar of soap Zexion had found for him a month ago with "all natural botanicals to make his skin glow". It suddenly dawned on him why the college junior gave him the soap to begin with and he filed it away in his "get back at Zexion and Demyx" folder in his mind.

"I'll be honest, though. You would make a terrible pickle," Axel admitted.

"Why's that?" Roxas demanded.

"Because I'd buy every jar in the universe and hoard them to myself. I'd be eating Roxas flavored pickles for the rest of my life," Axel teased. Roxas finally let him get the kiss he wanted and their tongues danced and twirled for a moment before they broke apart, foreheads pressed together.

"Or we can force Zexion and Demyx to eat them," the blonde opted.

"Ooh, devious and good looking. Careful, Roxas. I might just fall for you even more," Axel warned.

Their lips met once more for a twisting tango of tongues while their bodies pressed together to initiate more electrified touches. Axel revealed a bottle of lubrication from beneath his pillow, alerting Roxas he had been planning this ahead of time, and the blonde tried to relax his muscles. It proved a lot harder than he anticipated as the tenseness increased the amount of endorphins running through his brain. His entire body locked up as he felt a cold finger drag between his cheeks. He pinched his eyes shut as he felt the digit slide up inside of him. It took a moment for him to adjust to the presence of a foreign object and when Axel asked if he was ready to continue, Roxas gave a curt nod. The sensation of his anus getting pried open quickly rushed to the top of his "I will never get used to this" list and he squirmed in attempts to free up his jitters.

"You okay?" Axel asked.

"It's so weird," Roxas replied.

"It'll get better," Axel reassured, smirking as he moved his fingers like scissors. Roxas made a face but didn't indulge his friend with his commentary. The blonde twitched as Axel's fingers delved deeper and the faint echoes of Zexion's words came floated back into his mind. He knew there would be pain but as to how much was starting to worry him. "You feeling ready?"

"Please go before I change my mind," Roxas replied, eyes still pressed shut. Axel nodded and adjusted Roxas's legs before lining himself up. There was a pause as they both braced themselves. Then Roxas bit back a strangled mix between a shout and a scream before Axel pressed their lips together in attempts to distract him. Roxas could feel Axel gently throbbing against the walls of his insides, their heartbeats syncing together like a magic spell. Under the tender kisses from his lover, Roxas began to relax and his fingers unclenched from the bed sheets once more. He didn't know he was shaking until he brushed his hands over Axel's shoulders, feeling his fingertips bounce all over the skin. Axel took his hands one at a time and intertwined their fingers together, the pulses pitter-pattering in their palms sending secret messages to each other.

When Axel felt Roxas return to a semi-relaxed state, he shifted his hips and gave a gentle thrust. Roxas winced under the pain and he waited again for the blonde to readjust. It took half the time than the first, prompting Axel to press kisses along Roxas's jaw until his lips nibbled on the younger man's ear.

"How are you holding up?" Axel whispered.

Roxas's breath trembled against the side of his face as the blonde took a steadying breath. "You're such a saint," he breathed. Axel caught sight of a faint glint in the corner of the younger man's eye and he kissed away the moisture leaking from the oceanic eyes. Roxas leaned into the touch, their cheeks nuzzling together. "I want to feel you, Axel," the younger murmured. "I want to be with you so many more times it…it makes my chest hurt thinking about it." Axel untangled his fingers from his lovers and held them against the sides of the younger man's face. A gentle smile blossomed on his lips as he stared back at cerulean blue.

"Mine too," he whispered. Another drop of water leaked out of Roxas's eye and Axel wiped it away with his thumb. "You ready?" The blonde nodded with a hint of a smile toying with the corners of his lips.

Axel shifted his hands to the mattress and gave an experimental thrust. Roxas winced but his eyes told him to keep going. And so he did. It started off slow and methodical but it quickly began to gain pace as endorphins began to tickle their brains. Sweat broke on their brows and down their spines as their breath turned ragged. Roxas felt Axel's stomach brushing over his arousal with each thrust and it sent tiny shivers over his skin. His hands weren't quite sure where they wanted to be. He would run them over Axel's shoulders before they shifted back to curling in the comforter and back again. His mind had lost any sort of clarity as it all became a muddled mess of pleasure, lust and eagerness.

Roxas gasped as he felt something spark inside of him and Axel paused, staring back at him with a panicked look. When the blonde asked him to repeat what he just did, a smirk spread over the red head's lips. Shifting his aim towards that little bundle of nerves along the younger man's prostate, Axel enjoyed every little gasp and mewl Roxas released from his throat. He shifted his weight to his left elbow so he could run his other hand over the blonde's neglected arousal. Roxas squirmed at the electric touch and his moans filled the room.

"Ax…" he panted. "I-I can't…shit!" Roxas felt a tense coiling deep within himself yet he wanted to hold back so he didn't finish first. He couldn't stop the building up sensation and it exploded in his mind to where his vision blacked out for a brief moment. He could faintly make out Axel tensing with a hiss before his arm gave out and the red head collapsed on top of him. Their breath brushed against each other's sweaty skin as they sat in silence. Roxas snaked his arms around Axel's shoulders and pulled the red head into his body. "Thank you," he murmured.

"I think I need to start jogging again," Axel commented, his throat raw from air rasping against it. Roxas chuckled and let his friend catch his breath before he pushed himself upright. They both made a face as they peeling sensation against their skin as the semen coating their stomachs acted like paste. "Oh, that's gross."

"Where else was it supposed to go?" Roxas asked.

"I don't know," Axel mused, sitting back on the blonde's thighs. "Maybe into another dimension." Roxas snorted and whacked Axel with his pillow. They both broke out laughing and Axel plopped down next to his friend so they both lay staring up at the ceiling. The red head folded his hands behind his head and Roxas clasped them over his chest, taking care to avoid the goo on his stomach. For a moment they sat in silence again letting their thoughts reflect. They glanced at each other at the same time and both broke into smiles.

"Well that was something," Roxas stated.

"Sure was," Axel replied. "Damn, that was some good sex. I get why people get addicted to it but I think it was ten times better than if I did it with some random person." Axel paused before groaning, ruffling his hair against the mattress by turning his head back and forth. "I owe Demyx money, the shit. He's going to be rubbing it in my face for all eternity."

"How much did you bet?" Roxas inquired, glancing up at the red head.

"Two hundred. Maybe I'll just buy his groceries for awhile but knowing him he'll want it up front." Axel looked down as he felt the blonde press up against his side and he hooked his arm around the small man's shoulders. Roxas pressed his face against the soft spot between Axel's shoulder and pectoral, letting his eyes fall closed as he relished in his afterglow. "So what are we doing for the next ten days?" Axel asked.

"Well, we already did what I had planned," Roxas remarked. "Seeing as I don't start class for another week, that leaves my schedule completely open."

"Hmm, that's a definite problem," Axel noted. "We're just going to have to fill that up, aren't we?" Roxas chuckled as Axel kissed the top of his wild locks. "So what's on the menu first?"

Roxas hummed and gave it some thought. "I'm thinking shower." He looked up at the red head. "You're welcome to join me."

"You know I'm always open to an invitation."

Roxas smirked and shifted so his tongue flickered over the elder man's ear lobe. "That wasn't an invitation," he husked. "It was an order." Roxas rolled off the bed onto his feet and sauntered over to the door. He looked back over his shoulder to see Axel sitting up on the bed giving him a sexy, cat-eyed stare. The smirk on the blonde's face broadened and he slipped out of the door, taking his sweet time getting to the bathroom.

He started up the shower and waited a full minute for the water to get to the perfect temperature. Stepping into the mist, he started to wonder if Axel was coming at all and a bit of worry began to bubble up inside of him. He ran his fingers through his hair and let the hot water spray his face. His stomach dropped to the floor as he felt one arm wrap around his waist down to his hip while the other snaked up his chest where the hand spread out on his throat. Roxas wanted to melt as Axel kissed his favorite nerve on his neck. The hand resting on his hip slithered lower and brushed over his genitals, giving his balls a soft squeeze, before sensually stroking the length to the tip.

Unable to control his want, Roxas used the water to his advantage to slide in the elder man's grasp so they were facing each other and pulled Axel's face down so their lips crashed together. Long gone were the patient lovers. Now they were thirsty for each other, pulling and clawing like they had over Christmas. Roxas leapt up and locked his legs around Axel's waist, although he had a small heart attack while doing so since the water almost made him slip off before Axel caught him in time. He was pressed up against the wall of the shower and he moaned as he felt his lover thrust deep inside of him again. Roxas raked his nails over Axel's shoulders and threw his head back against the wall as the waves of pleasure came once more. He used his legs to press each slam of the hips even deep inside of him so it hit that perfect spot.

The pair locked lips again, tongues flailing about as they lost control over their own bodies as ecstasy overtook them. Roxas could feel Axel growing closer and he stroked himself so the red head wouldn't have to drop him. A spray of hot cum coated his insides as Axel gave one last deep thrust and Roxas let his orgasm take him, white coating their chests once more. At least this time the spray of the water washed it away before it started to dry.

There came the silence again, filled only with the sounds of the shower running and their own heavy breathing. Their foreheads rested together while their hair draped over their faces. Roxas moved first and brushed the fiery red locks aside to reveal the beautiful green orbs beneath.

"We're going to have so much fun over break," Roxas gasped between breaths.

"Hell yeah," Axel replied, grins spreading over both of their faces. Roxas realized they were both still wearing their collars and he found his hand reaching up to hold the tag between his fingers. Axel leaned forward and caught the blonde's bruised lips in a sweet kiss.

This year's love was here to last.

XxXxX

The haze started to lift from his mind like cotton candy getting pulled from the side of the machine. Bit by bit, the wispy concoction was removed so his thoughts could clear. Roxas cracked open his eyes to find bright morning sunlight sticking through one of the cracks in the blinds directly on his face. He scowled and buried his face into the sheets. As he moved, he became aware of the warmth pressed against his side and the weight sitting on top of his back. Bit by bit, the memories from the day before came floating back and, much to his regret, so did the pain of the morning after.

"Axel," he called out, his voice muffled by the sheets.

"'M-a wake," the red head mumbled through his half-asleep mind. Roxas peered out from his dark enclave to find Axel watching him with a half-lidded stare. It appeared the elder had been watching him for some time, although his exhaustion had caught up to him and he was now fighting to stay awake. When Axel caught the blonde's blue eyes staring back, he smiled. "Morning."

"How long have you been up?" Roxas pressed, rolling over onto his back. The lower half of his spine ached like he had been out picking beans all day, which he had done before. His mother just had to start a garden and decide not to take care of it two weeks in. Not that Roxas minded tending the garden for the summer but it had taken up half of the backyard. When it came to harvest, he was picking, washing, and cleaning vegetables for hours. That year he forced himself to eat every vegetable from the garden that was put on his plate just so his hard work wouldn't be wasted. He even ate them when they were burnt, doused in salt or dripping with oil when Ven asked Naminé to try and make him fried eggplant. Roxas never wanted to eat eggplant again after that night.

"Dunno. Two, maybe three? I've honestly lost track," Axel replied. "I could watch you sleeping all day long and never get bored."

"You may not but I would. So what's for breakfast?" Roxas asked.

"I don't know. I think we have a big box of cinnamon sex downstairs." Roxas shot his friend an unamused look. "Well, I thought it was clever. What are you feeling up to?"

"Eggs sound good," Roxas said with a shrug. "Are you even awake enough to cook?" The blonde was greeted with a yawn from the red head as his eyes drooped even farther shut. "I'll take that as a no. You stay here and sleep, you lazy cat. I'll go scrounge us up some food." Roxas slipped out from underneath Axel's arm and crawled over the red head. Axel managed to grab him and steal a kiss before Roxas got his feet on the floor. A jolt of pain shot up his spine as he put his weight on the lower half of his body. He clenched his jaw and managed to free his boxers from where they sat tucked inside his pants. Then he slipped them on and headed downstairs.

When the room fell quiet, Axel drifted off into a doze, his body rolling onto where Roxas had been lying before so he could breathe in the scent. He wasn't sure how long he slept, or when he fell back asleep, when his phone started ringing. Axel crawled over far enough so he could reach the phone sitting on his desk and gave a mumbled "hello" to whomever was calling.

"My, my, aren't we sleepy this morning," Marluxia's voice spoke up.

"Mmmm. Hey, Marly. How was the trip?" Axel asked, flopping back down onto the mattress. The faint scent of eggs drifted passed his nose and made his stomach gurgle with glee.

"Good God it was awful! I didn't get an ounce of sleep on the plane and people have been contacting me non-stop since I've got here. It says I'm on vacation in my bloody voicemail why can't they leave me alone?" Marluxia vented. There were some mumbled voices on the other end of the line and Axel took the pause to yawn. "Tifa says hello, by the way," Marluxia spoke up. "She said she wants to meet your boyfriend sometime over a Skype chat."

"You told her?" Axel asked.

"You know how she is. Always grilling me for details about what's going on in the lives of those around me," Marluxia replied. "Plus if I don't tell her something she'll just pester me the entire trip."

"I would not!" Axel heard Tifa shout on the other side of the phone before laughing.

"Anyway, I was just calling to see if everything is going alright while everyone's gone. Sounds like you two had a…adventurous day yesterday. Please tell me my room is still intact."

The red head peeked over at the room finding noting nothing had changed within the past twenty four hours save the extra clothes on the floor. "Pristine as a snowflake," Axel reassured him, hiding another yawn that brought water to the corners of his eyes.

"Glad to hear. Oh, Tifa just got us a taxi so I'll talk with you later," Marluxia stated before ending the call. Axel dropped his arm away from his ear and let his tired mind fall back into a tranquil doze. He was awoken again by a sharp prodding on his hip. Axel peeked out from his cracked lids and found Roxas stabbing him with a fork, two plates of eggs propped up in his free hand.

"Food time," Roxas announced. Axel managed to force himself awake enough so he could sit up and rub the sleep from his eyes. Roxas handed him a plate filled with eggs and two slices of toast, the bread covered in a thick layer of jelly.

"What? No smiley face breakfast?" Axel whined.

Roxas chuckled and sat down on the edge of the bed by Axel's knees. "Sorry. My Kindergarten skills are limited," the blonde replied. He shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth while Axel went after his toast while it was still crispy. Much to their surprise, they became ravenous once food touched their mouths. They ate so fast they didn't even stop to talk to each other, although it made sense to why they were so hungry seeing as they missed supper the night before due to their…escapades.

"Damn, I've never seen you inhale your food before," Axel commented as Roxas licked the last of the egg bits from his plate.

"It tasted good," Roxas replied, setting his plate on the desk next to Axel's. "Usually I'm not much of a fan for my own cooking but I guess it's true when they say you're hungry, everything tastes better."

"I think any college student would be able to tell you that," Axel stated. "Finals are brutal towards your daily living schedule."

"I think college in general is brutal towards your daily living schedule," Roxas noted.

"Right." Axel shifted so he sat with his back resting against the wall and his sheets bundled up over his legs so the cold morning air wouldn't give him a chill. "How are you holding up?"

"Alright I guess," Roxas said with a shrug. "My back and hips are sore, and I can definitely tell I'm out of shape. Maybe I should actually go to one of those gyms here on campus instead of saying I will."

"If you're interested in the gym, you have the right roommate for it. Seifer goes to the gym pretty much every day unless he's working a double shift at the shop. If you're lucky, maybe you can persuade him to let you tag along."

"Yeah, and maybe he'll leave me to suffocate under a barbell or smash my head in with a medicine ball in the locker room," Roxas said sarcastically.

Axel chuckled. "Seifer's crazy, but he's not that crazy. He's been to jail already and, from what I can tell, he really doesn't want to go back."

"Can't say I blame him." Roxas pushed himself upright, wincing as his sore muscles pulled tightly against his joints, and shuffled over to the desk to gather the dishes. "You're welcome to stay up here but I'm still hungry so I'm going to go find something else to eat."

"Okay. I'll be down in a minute. I didn't brush my teeth yesterday and I can't stand that gross, scummy coating you get on them when you miss a brushing," Axel replied, scraping at a tooth with a fingernail. Roxas nodded and headed for the stairs to bring the dishes back down.

As he reached the top of the flight, he took a deep breath before bracing himself for the descent. Each step jarred his core and sent a jolt of pain up his spine. _'Zexion wasn't kidding when he said he was worried about me. Fuck! Why doesn't anyone say it hurts when you rush?'_ Roxas clenched his jaw as a particularly painful wave made his lower back numb for a second and he waited for a full minute on the stairs before continuing. ' _My legs felt like they were popped off and back into place like an abused action figure and my ass feels like someone shoved a flaming pinecone up there. Hell, I bet a flaming pinecone would feel better!'_

It took him three times as long to get down the stairs but when his feet hit the first floor, he let out a sigh of relief. He wandered over to the kitchen and piled the dishes in the sink before heading to the pantry shelves to find his second breakfast. He spied a box of Demyx's Poptarts and swiped a pack, knowing the musician wouldn't notice as he had done this several times before. It was rather amusing when Demyx went to get a pack and complained on how he didn't remember eating through the box so quickly and would whine to Zexion to go grocery shopping. Looking down at the half eaten pastry between his fingers, he found himself missing the pair despite how much they liked to tease him. They reminded him of a pair of goofy aunts you would go shopping with not because they'd buy you a million things but because you knew you would have fun. He thought of sending them a text to see how their trip was starting off but he figured he would hear all about it later.

Even the details he wished would be kept out.

Axel made his way into the kitchen by the time Roxas finished off his first Poptart and the red head set to washing the dishes in the sink. Roxas chewed thoughtfully as he watched the elder clean off a plate, his mind blank for a change. With his second pastry devoured, he wandered over to the couch and lay down on his stomach. He closed his eyes as he listened to Axel dry the dishes and put them away, his ears perking as he heard soft footfalls nearing him. The muscles along his back began to melt as Axel kneaded his fingers into the sore flesh.

"You're a godsend," Roxas murmured into the couch cushion.

"Some say I have magic fingers," Axel teased.

The blonde let the moment linger as he enjoyed his massage. When he felt like Axel was almost done, he turned his head to peer over at the elder. "So when are we going again?"

Axel's fingers paused in their ministrations. "Again? You're practically dead on the couch," he argued. "Can't you wait to heal up first?"

"But we only have eleven more days before Marluxia gets home," Roxas pointed out.

"What is this? The Twelve Days of Sex-mas?" Roxas managed to smirk at the name. Axel rolled his eyes and crawled on top of the blonde. Roxas was about to roll over when Axel kept him pinned on his stomach. The red head clicked his tongue and flicked it over the top of Roxas's earlobe. "Patience," he whispered, sending shivers down the younger man's spine. "We're going to take this slow."

XxXxX

The week passed by far too quickly for Roxas's liking and it wasn't because he got to spend every second of his day with Axel. After his week vacation, summer classes had begun and he was back to taking classes and spending time at the coffee shop. While he didn't get a second job like he was hoping, he managed to get a load of hours from the staff leaving campus. He found himself not worrying as much as he originally had thought due to the fact his appeal managed to go through at Administration. They had sent him an e-mail stating they would think of giving him a little more money if he managed to get a 4.0 GPA over the summer and with each 4.0 subsequent semester they would add more money back. Although if he messed up, that meant he would return to his current scholarship status with no future chance for improvement. No pressure there.

Along with the new week came a new round of pouring rain and a light fog that lingered throughout most of the day. Roxas wasn't given much of a warning Monday as when he left it was drizzling and when he came back it was as if someone was pouring a wash basin over his head. It didn't help he no longer had access to the Freshman parking ramp as the one for those living off campus was a couple blocks away from where he had class. Some days he found himself day dreaming that Axel would be waiting for him with a warm towel in the seat next to his and a big cup of hot chocolate. Instead, he was forced to carry a change of clothes for when he worked at the coffee shop and wrap the interior of his backpack with plastic shopping bags so his books wouldn't get ruined.

By the end of the day Friday, Roxas was exhausted when he came home from working and his work clothes were soaked through from the rain. He pried off his wet shoes and trudged to the basement, tossing all his clothes, sans boxers, into the dryer. Then he trudged back upstairs to his room, gathered up some dry clothes, and headed to the bathroom to take a shot shower. It took awhile to get the bone numbing cold to leave from his core. Roxas leaned his head against the side of the shower, wishing the headache he had from the day before would just go away. His stomach twisted and he quietly reminded it that supper would be coming as soon as he felt warm enough to brave the cooler air.

Once he finished up and bundled up in his warm clothes, he headed back downstairs to make himself some supper. As he started pulling out ingredients for a sandwich, he noticed that Axel had cleaned the kitchen while he was away. The red head was most likely cleaning the rest of the townhouse as Roxas had yet to see him since he came home. Assembling his dinner, he wondered what homework he should tackle first over the weekend. His stomach squirmed again so he substituted his evening milk for a glass of orange juice.

Two bites into his food, Roxas felt a flash of heat spread over his forehead. He pressed the back of his hand to his face and frowned. The food in his mouth started to turn sour and it made him want to throw up. He chewed slowly, hoping the feeling would pass so he could swallow. Yet as his stomach heaved, he knew he didn't have much time before the contents followed. He bolted to the sink, knocking over the barstool in the process, and clung to the edge of the basin as his dinner came back to see him. Roxas heaved again, his body trembling at the effort as exhaustion started to take hold of him. He barely noticed the footsteps racing towards him as he slumped over the sink, saliva and bile drooling from his mouth as his eyes tried to focus.

"Roxas. Roxas!" Axel called out to him. The blonde didn't reply. Axel pressed a hand to the younger man's forehead, panic seizing up inside of him. "You're burning up! We have to get you to bed." Roxas didn't have the energy to protest. Axel eased him upright and cleaned off his face with a damp paper towel. Axel went to gather a few things from upstairs while Roxas swished out his mouth with warm water from the tap. He felt like he was moving in slow motion as the water sloshed around. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. He spat out the sour tasting liquid and refilled his cup to bring with him upstairs to bed. His feet trudged up the stairs one at a time with his stomach churning the entire way. Roxas wondered how he managed not to hurl on his way to his room and gratefully eased himself into bed. Axel came by a short while later with an empty garbage can from one of the bathrooms, some Tylenol, and a thermometer. Roxas managed to stomach the meds and drifted off to sleep with the thermometer poking out of the corner of his mouth. Axel frowned at the number blinking at him when the device beeped and tucked the blonde in, hoping his friend had only caught a 24 hour flu.

As much as Axel wanted to stay and sit with Roxas, he had promised to pick Marluxia up from the airport. He was arriving around seven and Axel didn't want to be a jerk and tell him he suddenly needed to call a cab when Axel knew his roommate would be exhausted stepping off the flight. Forgoing the rest of the cleaning, Axel focused on keeping Roxas comfortable until he had to leave. He even folded up the blonde's dry clothes to keep his mind occupied as he filled the time.

When the time came, Axel made sure Roxas had everything he needed within arm's reach before he headed to the airport. The entire trip he found himself distracted with a million negative "what if" statements revolving through his head. It distracted him enough to the point the drive to the airport was surprisingly short. When he pulled up to the curb, he popped the trunk as Marluxia rolled his large bags behind him. Axel drummed his fingers against the steering wheel as he waited, hoping Roxas's condition hadn't worsened since he was gone.

Marluxia opened the passenger side door and plopped himself down into the seat with a happy sigh. "Hello there," he greeted.

"Hm? Oh, hey," Axel greeted. He pulled away from the curb and weaved his way back to the freeway. "How did it go?"

"Wonderful, actually. A bit stressful trying to keep up but I enjoyed my time. I was hit with a bit of a curveball, though, when Tifa decided to change up our wedding plans again," Marluxia explained.

"Not in Japan anymore?" Axel pressed.

"Ha! No, Japan is final. Turns out she made all the preparations herself and the wedding's in August," Marluxia stated. Axel opened his mouth to reply but then closed it again, pursing his lips as the news registered in his brain.

"Wait, you mean this summer August?" he pressed. "That's like two and a half months away! How are you going to get all the clothes fitted in time?"

"All taken care of. I know a rough estimate of everyone's size so I had everything ordered ahead of time once I learned the change in plans. We'll be wearing kimonos and yukatas so it doesn't have to be an exact fit." Marluxia looked over at the red head and took notice of how focused he seemed to be on driving. The pink haired man shifted in his seat so he was turned more towards the driver and drummed his fingers on the armrest of the door. "So what's bothering you? I sincerely hope you didn't break something."

"What? No. Roxas got sick right before I had to leave to come pick you up," Axel replied.

"Is he doing alright?" Marluxia asked.

"I'm not sure. He mentioned he had a headache yesterday and I found him puking in the sink while I was in the middle of cleaning today. It's been raining almost nonstop all week and the fact he doesn't eat well probably hasn't helped keep his health in the best condition." Axel exhaled sharply out of his nose and readjusted his grip on the wheel. "Maybe I should start cooking for him."

"You won't have to," Marluxia argued. "As soon as Zexion sees how he eats, he'll be all over teaching Roxas how to cook."

Axel smirked, finding himself starting to relax. "He totally would do that." The pair kept the chatter light as they headed back to the townhouse. When they returned, Axel helped carry his roommate's bags upstairs before checking on the blonde the floor below. Roxas was still sleeping, although it didn't appear his fever had deterred much as his face, neck and ears were still flushed.

The next day, Axel went out to find some better medicine while Marluxia worked on laundry. Between loads, the pink haired man continued working on his business, cramming away much time on his computer and phone. As he went down to fetch his third load of laundry, he paused at the bottom of the stairs as he spotted a bit of yellow contrasting against the kitchen. Marluxia frowned and wandered over to where Roxas sat slumped over the counter, face pressed against the cool surface. He pressed a hand on the blonde's forehead and the younger man stirred at the touch.

"Axel?" Roxas slurred as he cracked open his eyes.

"Sorry, not quite the right shade of hair," Marluxia teased. Roxas blinked as his sight focused and he mouthed an "oh" before pushing himself upright. "What on earth are you doing down here? You should be in bed."

"I wanted some more water," Roxas murmured, pointing to his still empty cup.

Marluxia picked up the cup and brought it over to the sink, filling it with tepid water that would settle better in the sick man's stomach. "You know, you could have just filled it up in the bathroom sink." Roxas muttered a defeated "oh" and tried to lie back down on the counter. Marluxia walked over and prevented him from doing so, ushering him out of his seat. "Come on. We're getting you back into bed." The elder steadied his younger housemate as they ascended the stairs, Marluxia taking note of the feverish flush on the blonde's face. Roxas reluctantly went back to bed and lay watching videos on his laptop since he wasn't tired enough to sleep at the moment. Marluxia got him another dose of Tylenol before returning to his laundry. Axel returned an hour later and sat upstairs watching movies with Roxas the rest of the day, which was a bit of a blessing for Marluxia as he tried to get caught up with his work.


	15. 15-Ohana Means Family

**A/N-Mmmmmmm, there is some strong language in a part of this chapter (just saying). And yes, Cool Whip cookies are a thing. (They are scrumptious!) Other than that, it's new chapter time. :D Read and enjoy my lovely readers. We're almost at the end!**

Sunday passed into Monday and Roxas was still confined to his bed. He did his best to work on his classes from online but his brain felt like mush every time he tried to read. In his stubbornness, he went to class on Tuesday and he came home with a slight wheeze to his breathing. It developed into a hacking cough by Wednesday and by Thursday he was back in bed with no energy to move save for rolling over to prevent bed sores. Friday morning Axel brought Roxas to the clinic in fear he had pneumonia. The good news it came up negative. The bad news was he had gotten influenza with acute bronchitis. The doctor loaded him up with antibiotics, to which Roxas got a nasty text message later from his mother from the costs, and he was confined in bed until Monday.

In order to fight off getting sick themselves, Axel and Marluxia found themselves constantly cleaning, washing their hands, and keeping contact with Roxas directly to a minimum. They would sit in the room, more so Axel than Marluxia, to spend time with him but it was always from his desk chair. Come Sunday morning, Axel had to drive out to the airport yet again to pick up Demyx and Zexion as they returned from Jamaica. The pair was tan, energetic and sleep deprived when they returned home, so much so Axel had to shush them as they walked in the front door in fear of disturbing the resting blonde upstairs. They set about to get some laundry started and unpack, but then they fell asleep in a crumpled heap on Demyx's bed, exhausted from jet lag.

The next morning, Zexion woke with a groggy mind and the notion the bed was far emptier than when he sat down to relax for a moment. He found someone had tucked him in, most like Demyx, and he checked the time on his phone. Not only was it shortly past noon but it was already Monday. Finding himself on the lazy side, he scrounged up his book from his flight and began to read. He made it maybe twenty pages in before his eyes unfocused and he stared at the lines of ink on the pages. Zexion wasn't the kind of person to get distracted but he found too many different things on his mind were muddling up his thoughts.

Closing the book, he stared up at the ceiling for a moment before crawling out of bed. He changed his clothes before venturing down to the kitchen, finding Demyx humming as he stirred a pot on the stove.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Demyx called out as Zexion wandered into the room. "Sleep good?"

"About as good as I could," Zexion replied. He peered into the pot, finding a mixture of chicken bits and noodles swirling around in tempo with the blonde's spoon. "A rather light lunch."

"It's for Roxas," Demyx replied. "He's feeling better today but his stomach was still bothering him. So I whipped up my old family recipe to cheer him up." Zexion glanced over at the side of the sink where the rinsed out Campbell's can waited to head to the recycle bin. Demyx turned off the stove and poured the hot soup into a bowl. "You want to come?"

"Why not? It'll nice to get caught up," Zexion said with a shrug. Demyx nodded and picked up the hot bowl with a hot pad while his free hand picked up a glass of apple juice he had poured earlier. The pair wandered upstairs, hearing Roxas long before they saw him. Zexion got the door for Demyx and they offered smiles to the blonde propped up with pillows on his bed. Roxas gave a small wave before coughing into his sweatshirt sleeve, the harsh bark rattling his lungs.

"We've got food!" Demyx announced as he entered.

"That's awesome," Roxas said with a smile, his voice raspy. He cleared his throat and adjusted his position so he was sitting up better. Demyx handed off the bowl of soup and set the apple juice within reach on his desk. Roxas took a spoonful, blowing off the steam rising from the broth, and took a bite. "Mmm, tastes like homemade."

"Old family recipe," Demyx said with a wink. Zexion rolled his eyes and took a seat on the edge of the bed while Demyx sat down backwards in the desk chair. "So how's the dying inpatient doing?"

"Just getting my ass kicked by an out of season flu," Roxas commented before blowing on another spoonful of soup. "School's piling up but, then again, what's new?"

"You could always just drop out and take them next summer," Zexion suggested.

"As great as that sounds, I'm sticking to my schedule. That way I can graduate the same time as Axel does." Demyx and Zexion exchanged looks as Roxas took his next bite of soup. "So did you guys hear we're going to Japan?" Roxas asked.

"No! Is this for Marluxia's wedding?" Demyx pressed. Roxas nodded and the dirty blonde spun around in his chair. "Sweet! I'm totally going to buy all sorts of fun, foreign candy that we can try out and I want one of those fancy fans with the tassels to carry around for the wedding. I think a katana would be cooler but I don't want to end up getting arrested."

"What do you need a fan for?" Roxas asked. He took a moment to cough before Demyx replied.

"So I can whack anyone who gets too close to my sexy Zexy," the dirty blonde remarked, sending a sly smile over towards his boyfriend.

Roxas chuckled and took a drink of his juice. "You know it's funny but I really missed having you guys around here. This place feels void without you."

"That's sweet of you to say," Zexion stated while Demyx's face broke into a large grin.

"So what are you guys planning for your last year of college? Any plans for the future?" Roxas asked, curious. He was a bit surprised when Zexion sighed and his eyes shifted to where the elder fiddled with his fingers. His gaze locked onto the shiny, silver band around the man's finger and Roxas found himself speechless.

"In his defense, I really surprised him," Demyx brought up.

"Wow, that's so cool. I had no idea you guys were going to get married," Roxas remarked.

"We were toying with the idea of engagement for awhile now and I had a feeling Demyx would pop the question while we were in Jamaica," Zexion explained. "But when he did, I was just so overwhelmed with everything it all went to my head. So it was a bit of a spur of the moment sort of wedding."

"Otherwise we totally would have invited everyone," Demyx added on. "We snagged some random guy and asked him to take pictures. Ended up paying three hundred bucks to make him happy but it was totally worth it." Demyx dug out his phone from his pocket and flipped through the screens until he found the right album. Then he handed it over to the younger blonde for him to browse. Roxas smiled as he flipped through the pictures of the pair laughing on the beach in their board shorts and t-shirts with a grinning priest standing behind them.

Roxas smirked as he found a particular picture and held it up for Demyx to see. "I want this picture," he demanded. Zexion leaned forward to see which one and smiled at the blonde's choice. It was a top profile of Zexion and Demyx kissing with the dirty blonde flashing the camera a thumbs up while Zexion laughed and attempted to swat the gesture away. Roxas finished flipping through the photos and handed the phone back so he could return to his lunch. Demyx started sending pictures to Roxas's phone.

Zexion waited for the blonde to finish up his soup before he crossed his legs and leaned back on the bed, a sly look taking over his eyes. "Now that we've let you in on what we did, why don't you enlighten us on what you did while we were out?" Roxas knew the question was coming so it didn't surprise him. He set his bowl on his desk, finished off his juice and settled down against his pillows for a moment of silence while he constructed his words carefully.

"We…enjoyed our time together and we did exactly as I said we would: stared at the ceiling," Roxas commented.

"Ooh, he's such a liar," Demyx shot back. A red flush passed over the younger blonde's cheeks and ear tips as he held his tongue. "Come on, we know you two did it. Spill. The. BEANS!"

Roxas pressed his hands together and smooshed them between his thighs. His teeth chewed on his lip piercing all while his fingers desperately wanted to rub the tag not currently resting upon his neck. Although it wasn't far off as it sat amongst his books on his desk. He would have been wearing his collar had his lungs decided it was easier to breath without his neck being restricted. His eyes shifted to his lap to avoid the others' gaze, otherwise his embarrassment would have overflowed.

"It was nice," he murmured. He thought back to their first time together and it brought a faint smile to his face. "Axel was really sweet. It was…perfect." Zexion and Demyx exchanged looks as Roxas gazed at his knees with a dreamy eyed stare. The silver haired man placed a hand on the younger blonde's shin, offering a warm smile as blue eyes lifted upwards.

"Couldn't keep your hands off each other," Zexion said, smile still plastered on his face. Roxas's face turned beet red and he spluttered out an excuse while the elder pair burst out laughing.

"So where'd you do it?" Demyx asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Like I'd tell you!" Roxas shot back. "And you! How dare you set me up with fancy, scented soap," he snapped at Zexion.

"Damn, he figured it out," Demyx pouted.

"Don't be embarrassed, Roxas," Zexion reassured the angry blonde. "It's not like we're going to judge what you do with your boyfriend." He rose to his feet and motioned for Demyx to follow. As the dirty blonde stood, Zexion leaned in close to Roxas, a sly grin plastering his face. "Don't think we won't pry it from you later." Roxas glared at the pair as they left the room with wave. He was definitely going to have to get back at them.

XxXxX

Seifer slammed the door on his truck and hoisted his bag high on his shoulder, muttering all sorts of negative comments and swear words under his breath. The last thing he ever wanted to do was fill the first three weeks of his summer break with unwanted family conflict. On top of that his "girlfriend" dumped him, he missed work so he missed getting paid, and he would have to spend the next year sharing a room with someone he didn't particularly like. Life, sarcastically fantastic and consistent in shitting on your day.

He dropped his keys when trying to unlock the front door, prompting a string of fucks so long he could have made a paper chain long enough to decorate for a birthday party. As he stormed upstairs, he didn't bother keeping down his noise level because he honestly didn't care. He was mad and everyone was going to know it. As he shoved open his door, he noted a strange sterile scent lingering in the air. His eyes shifted to the occupied bed of his new roommate, finding Roxas fast asleep under his convers while a movie continued to play on his laptop perched on his desk chair.

"Pfft, now he's skipping class," Seifer muttered. He dropped his bags on his bed and set to unpacking, again not bothering to lower his noise level. As he set his laptop on his desk, he noticed the array of empty pill bottles on the younger man's desk. At first he figured Roxas had gotten into pill popping over the break but then he noticed the stack of textbooks standing beside them. Seifer snatched up a bottle and read the label. "Antibiotics?" he murmured. He checked his watch, noting Roxas should have currently been away for class, and it dawned on him the younger blonde was sick. Seifer turned his head as he heard movement from the bed and watched Roxas push himself upright, rubbing the sleep from his face.

"Ugh…" the younger blonde groaned. "Thank God that's over with. Damn pills, make me feel like the crypt…" Roxas seemed to wake up more when he noticed the heated glare he was getting from his roommate. "Seifer. You're back."

"No shit," Seifer quipped, setting the bottle back on the desk. He returned to unpacking his laptop and the various accessories that went along with it. The room went silent as Roxas stopped the movie on his laptop.

"Zexion cleaned your desk, by the way. He didn't want you getting sick when you got back," Roxas mentioned. Seifer paused in setting his headphones on the desk top. He did notice the surface looked a bit cleaner than before and had the same faint, sterile smell as the room itself. He muttered a faint 'whatever' and continued with his work. His teeth ground together as he heard a knock on the door but he didn't bother turning around to see who it was.

"Hey, you're back," Axel said from the doorway. The red head tried to think of something to say to stimulate a conversation but decided it was probably best if he didn't bother. Instead, he carried over the piping hot bowl of homemade soup to Roxas so the blonde could eat.

"I was planning on coming downstairs," Roxas commented as he was handed the bowl.

"Pfft, I highly doubt that. Ten minutes ago you were passed out cold," Axel shot back.

"Well I'm feeling better now that the drugs wore off. They weren't kidding when they said "may make you drowsy"," Roxas mentioned before he took a big bite of soup. Having Zexion make him homemade soups had been the highlight of his week. Roxas frowned when Seifer grabbed his keys and left the room without another word, his face still stuck in pissed off mode. "I guess he had to go to work."

"Don't mind him. Sometimes it's best if you don't talk with him because you might just piss him off even more," Axel commented, propping his hands up on his hips.

"How did he end up with you guys? I mean he seems fine at times but the rest of the time he's so…" Roxas searched for the right word.

"Seifer?" The blonde nodded. "Yeah, he's an interesting guy."

"How did you get him as a housemate?" Roxas asked.

"Demyx lived in this complex as a sophomore so he knew the layout. We talked it over and agreed to get a different unit between Demyx, Zexion, Marluxia and I so we could all hang out together when he had time. Lexaeus and Terra were already living here when we applied. Since no one cared who the last two people were, we let the school fill the slots. First came Riku, which we don't mind because he's pretty chill, and then we got Seifer, to which we've had the pleasure of being stuck with ever since."

"Why doesn't he leave if he doesn't like it here?" Roxas asked between bites of soup.

Axel shrugged. "Beats us. He may have stuck around because he was sort of friend's with Terra but I think he just didn't feel like applying for anywhere else to live. You get used to having him around but if he ever starts bugging you just let me know."

Roxas nodded as he finished off chewing on a carrot. "Do you think that his major is stressful for him?"

"That could have something to do with it. Engineering is tough and the fifth year, I hear, is brutal. Long class workshops tied in with mounds of notes to know for tests all piled up on top of work and a personal life." Axel paused for a moment as a thought came to him. "Although…you know I was talking with Marluxia one day and from what he told me, Seifer didn't have the best of grades starting off. It wasn't until his sophomore year he started actually caring about his grades. The guy's actually really smart, like one of those 'I don't ever have to study for tests' smart. I think he just never liked to apply it but something made him change his mind a year in."

"Maybe the school threatened to kick him out?" Roxas offered.

"Possibly, but I guess we'll never know for sure, seeing as he'll never tell us," Axel remarked.

Roxas polished off his bowl of soup and stretching his arms above his head, his spine giving a satisfying pop. "So what happens next year for housing? Seifer, Marluxia, Demyx and Zexion will all graduate next spring."

"We'll have to talk with Riku and Sora about that when they get back from summer break. They may want to stay here or they may want to move to a different apartment where it's just the two of them. Either way, I'm not too worried about it at the moment. I'm more focused on getting my classes done one year at a time."

"Yeah, sounds about right," Roxas noted. He kicked back his sheets and rose from his bed, bumping the red head with his hip as he headed for the door. Axel smirked and headed after the blonde as they headed downstairs to drop off Roxas's dishes.

XxXxX

By Monday morning, Roxas was back into class full force. He had to spend extra time making up his studies and homework as well as face the hard fact he lost two weeks of work to help pay for his car. Determined not to get off track, he glued himself to his desk whenever he wasn't making coffees or sitting through class. Soon he had lost track of time and it became June, bringing hot temperatures and the promise of severe weather on the horizon. Sora had already sent him sixteen different ice cream pictures from his adventures at the beach and Roxas was glad to see pictures of the trio of friends having fun together again.

True to Axel's prediction, Zexion helped teach Roxas how to cook for himself so he could get the proper nutrition he needed. Roxas was grateful for the help but he still managed to get back at Zexion for the soap by slipping some extra cayenne and hot sauce into his marinara one day. Zexion didn't think it was all too clever as he swished ranch dressing in his mouth to get the burn to go away but Demyx thought it was hilarious.

One afternoon Roxas sat at his desk cramming notes into his brain for an upcoming exam. His teeth gnawed on the tip of his eraser, mostly due to the fact he was chewing on his piercing earlier and it had started to get irritated, and scanned over his notebook for the fourth time that day. He didn't realize he had zoned out until Seifer dropped his bag on the floor, making the younger blonde jump.

"Well, look at you being the model student," Seifer sneered.

"Um, sorry?" Roxas replied, unsure what to say. Seifer didn't reply so Roxas dropped the conversation, returning to his notes once more. The younger blonde pulled his feet up onto his chair and rested his chin on his knees. As he read on, he heard Seifer's phone alert he received a message. Seifer answered it before flipping open his laptop and started typing what Roxas assumed was an essay. Several more times the elder's phone went off and each time Seifer sent a reply his face slowly morphed into his usual pissed off countenance. After fifteen minutes, Seifer stopped answering the messages and just let the phone ping. He growled as the phone began to get message spammed and he turned it off before chucking the device onto his bed. Roxas checked his own phone and was thankful it was on silent so it wouldn't get on Seifer's nerves.

"You're phone isn't the problem," Seifer commented as he continued to type. Roxas frowned and peered over at the senior working away, eyes glued to the computer screen as his fingers stabbed at the keyboard.

"Is someone bothering you?" Roxas frowned as Seifer shot him a glare. "Let me rephrase that. Is some-thing bothering you?"

"No shit," Seifer replied. "It always has to be about THEM! Never about what I think or what my opinion counts for because they think they're so much better than I am because they-don't-have-a-record."

"Not to sound like I'm prying, but is that the reason why you left campus so suddenly?" Roxas asked. Seifer stopped typing, the silence deafening in the room.

"What goes on in my family is no concern of yours, chicken wuss," the elder blonde growled. He paused for a moment and then retrieved his phone. As it powered on, it started going insane from the amount of texts and voice mails he missed. He barely opened his messenger app when he received a phone call to which he answered with his teeth grinding together. "Get off my back!" he barked. "No, I'm not coming back home. If you're so fucking paranoid about it then…no I'm not going to call him! You fucking call him!" Seifer saved his paper and slammed his laptop shut. "Don't give me that shit ass excuse! You're the one…Hell no! Don't you dare…!" Seifer growled as the call disconnected and he slammed his phone onto his desk, although how the screen didn't break was a near miracle.

"Parents?" Roxas guessed.

Seifer snorted. "I wish it were my parents. No, they hot to go off and get killed in an accident! They're fucking dead! And then I get stuck with my God damn siblings bitching about how "overburdened" they are and how the whole situation we're currently in is my fucking fault because I went to jail and I can't "get my act together". They're the ones who can't get their act together. Overburdened my ass! They've all but started throwing their lawyers at each other." The elder blonde frowned as Roxas chuckled and leaned back in his chair.

"Sounds like my mom," Roxas commented. "Hell, getting medication so I didn't _die_ made her bitch out so much you would think I sold my soul to the devil to become the antichrist."

"Why is she bitching if you're the one having to pay for them?" Seifer shot back.

"Because I'm still under her insurance and getting a phone call that I'm not eradicated from this earth yet is just too much on her "frail" mental constitution," Roxas mocked. "Even getting a passing grade in school is a failure for her."

"And one bad grade means the world's going to implode," Seifer agreed. He shut off his phone again as it started to ring so he wouldn't have to deal with his family any more. "People need to learn how to leave things the fuck alone." It grew quiet again and it dawned on Roxas that he was having a real conversation with Seifer, although he suspected it had to do with the fact they were venting on other people instead of towards himself. Yet he decided to try to pry further while the senior was in a talking mood.

"If you don't mind me asking, how'd your parents die? You mentioned an accident," Roxas brought up.

"Anniversary. They went out for dinner and didn't come home. I was a freshmen in college when it happened." Seifer exhaled sharply and rubbed his face with his palms.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's not like you ran them off the road, fathead. It honestly didn't phase me all that much until we found out that my parents were intestate. I have an older brother and sister that took it upon themselves to decide who got what in terms of inheritance. Of course they want more since they think I've still a convict and, to be honest, I don't fucking care. I don't want their stuff. Rai just got married and Fuu has kids already so they can use whatever they want for their families."

"But there's something you want," Roxas guessed.

Seifer dropped his hands to his lap and dug around in his pocket for his wallet. He tossed it at the younger blonde, who peeked inside, to where a pocket photograph of a little boy sat reading a book. He had long silver hair he kept tucked behind his ears while he snuggled up under a very oversized blanket.

"My mom had an affair awhile back but my parents worked through their marriage. Problem was she got pregnant with him and we got a new brother. Sephiroth's only five so he has no idea what's going on. We have him living at our uncle's house because it's the only place quiet enough for him. Kid's really sensitive to fighting, probably because my parents fought a lot after my mom cheated. When I heard the news about my parents, I went home and skipped all my spring finals just so he didn't have to be home alone. I mean the kid was two! He's still lost about the whole situation. But since my uncle's a bachelor and he's stupid as fuck when it comes to raising kids, my siblings opened up a legal battle on who gets custody over Seph."

"That's why they keep bringing up your record," Roxas mused, wrapping his arms around his knees. "The court won't let you have rights."

"Getting good grades gives me visiting privileges to see my own God damn brother. It makes no fucking sense because Rai's an idiot to the point he forgets Seph's even in the house when he's babysitting. And Fuu's an absolute bitch to him because her kids are snotty and she thinks that's how all kids should be treated. It's not fucking fair!" Seifer slammed his fist down on his desk while Roxas remained silent. The younger blonde thought if he had been in a legal battle with his mother over Naminé and Ven how frustrated he would be. Seifer stood from his chair and started rummaging around in his dresser for some shorts. "I gotta go let off some steam," he announced.

"Want some company?" Roxas asked. He wasn't sure what possessed him to ask, and he was also pretty sure Seifer would say no, yet he was surprised when the senior muttered a neutral "whatever". Roxas packed up a drawstring bag for the gym and glanced from pocketing his phone when he heard a familiar sound. Seifer had pulled out a skateboard from under his bed and Roxas felt a small burst of excitement. He barely got out on his skateboard since college started. Heck, he left it in the trunk of his car most of the year so it wouldn't take up space in his dorm. But it was one opportunity he wasn't going to let fly by. He grabbed his board from his closet and followed Seifer downstairs.

As soon as they started gliding down the street, Roxas smiled. The wind buffeting against his face felt heavenly and the warm, summer air felt good against his healing body. He had to give Seifer credit for being observant. Roxas didn't even know the man had a board.

"Hey!" Seifer barked, snapping Roxas out of his daze. "Don't fall behind."

"As if!" Roxas shot back. His eyes widened as he caught sight of a smirk on the elder man's face and he threw himself down the street, the pair racing all the way to their destination.

XxXxX

June passed into July and hit the campus hard with a wave of humidity. The air itself began drowning in its own moisture, giving everything a glossy sheen. July also meant a week off from classes for those who stayed to learn over the summer and many were taking the opportunity to go somewhere to either lap up the sun's rays or cool off. Roxas was grateful for the break as it was difficult to concentrate on studying when sweat was beading up on his brow. While the days felt long due to the heat, he knew it would go by fast as the next month was brimming with excitement.

Two plans were swimming into motion at the townhouse with the first being a well-deserved trip to the beach for an end of the summer celebration. When Demyx broke the news, Roxas wanted to tackle the man in a hug only it was far too hot to do so. Instead he just grinned like an idiot the rest of the day. The second order of business was getting Marluxia's wedding underway. Plans became a wild mess of invites and plane tickets as Marluxia tried to figure out who was all coming. Terra and Aqua had to bail out on their invite so their tickets were passed off to Sora and Kairi since Riku had been on the invitation list. Axel's sister, Xion, had planned on coming but couldn't so her ticket went to one of Tifa's friends. It all became a whirlwind of e-mails and texts until they came to a final decision and bought tickets. And it all fell apart when, two hours later, one of Tifa's friends bailed due to issues getting time off, leaving the group with an extra ticket.

Roxas sat crossed legged on Axel's bed watching Marluxia, Axel, Demyx and Zexion wracking their brains for an answer while he munched on lemon Cool Whip cookies he had popped into the freezer to make them cold. Roxas loved how simple they were to make and when he offered them to Axel, the red head didn't actually believe a box of cake mix and a tub of fake whipped cream could make such a yummy treat.

"Are you sure we can't get a refund on the flight?" Zexion pressed.

"Yes! I've tried but it's a lost cost," Marluxia stated. "Who else is there?"

"Is Vexen open?" Demyx asked.

"He's in Mexico," Zexion brought up.

"Oh, yeah," Demyx mused.

"Larxene?" Marluxia asked, looking to Axel. His spirits fell as the red head shook his head.

"She's in Paris all summer visiting a cousin. I asked her but she's too wrapped up in the summer fashion world to care about anything else," Axel explained.

Demyx patted the pink haired man on the shoulder. "There, there, Marly. In a few short weeks this will all be over," he reassured. Marluxia responded by pressing his face into the surface of his desk.

As the group mused some more, Roxas finished off his last cookie and decided one more wouldn't hurt. He slipped out of the room and headed downstairs towards the kitchen. As he reached the first floor, he caught sight of Seifer slipping into the bathroom out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't sure what possessed him to change course towards his room but he got an idea in his mind he couldn't just ignore. Roxas peered at the elder man's space and noted his phone was sitting on his desk. He crept over and silently cheered that the device was on. He scrolled through the contacts like lightning before finding a promising number. His eyes scanned it over and over, memorizing it as the sound of the toilet flushing sent his panic alarm flaring. Roxas returned the phone and dashed to the doorway, trying to appear calm as he walked down the hall.

Seifer caught sight of Roxas as he stepped out of the bathroom but didn't think much of it. Roxas exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding as he crept down the last set of stairs. He hurried into the basement, making sure to close the door behind him, and made a phone call.

XxXxX

Roxas sat backwards on the stool at the kitchen counter and sipped on a soda as he watched the others rush around the townhouse. Axel was busy hauling suitcases downstairs while Zexion read over a list for the third time to make sure everyone had what they needed. Demyx followed Marluxia around asking him a million questions to make sure the pink haired man was ready and prepared for the next few days. Roxas gave his soda another sip as he watched Axel drop off the last load of bags into the living room.

"Are you sure…" Demyx started to ask as he followed Marluxia downstairs.

"Yes, I'm sure! Demyx, if I pack anything more I'm going to bring the entire apartment with me," Marluxia snapped. Axel plopped down in the seat next to Roxas and took a long drag from his own soda. He let out a happy sigh and leaned back against the counter.

"Are you going to be able to get up in time tomorrow?" Axel asked the blonde.

"Four in the morning? I'll be up but I won't be awake," Roxas noted. Axel chuckled and took another drink from his beverage. He emptied the can and returned the it to the counter.

"You'll just sleep it off on the plane," Axel teased. Roxas knew he would be sleeping on the plane part of the time but as to how much he wasn't sure. It wouldn't help he was going to be severely jet lagged once he got to Japan. They were staying in a ryokan where the wedding would be held in the garden. Roxas was excited to see some Japanese culture, both traditional and modern, although he wasn't too excited for all the finals he was going to have to study for during the trip. At the very least he didn't have to miss class.

The group all turned as there was a knock on the front door. Roxas hopped off his stool and wandered over, opening the barrier to find a tall, handsome looking man on the other side with a charming smile spread over his face. He looked a bit odd wearing a purple dress shirt and pants with a silver vest that matched his hair.

"You must be Setzer," Roxas guessed.

"Yes, and you're Roxas?" the man asked. The blonde nodded and Setzer peered in through the entry way. "Is Seifer here?"

"I think he's upstairs still," Roxas stated.

"Says who?" Roxas whirled around to find Seifer descending the stairs with his backpack slung over his shoulder and scowl on his face. The elder blonde made his way over to the door and Roxas stepped aside. "What the Hell are you doing here?" Seifer growled.

"Nice to see you too, Seifer. Look, I'm a bit pressed for time so do you mind if I drop your brother off and jet?" Setzer asked. Seifer's face scrunched up in confusion. Before he could ask, Setzer waved towards a car parked behind him and the passenger door opened. A little boy climbed out and carried a backpack of his own all the way up to the door. His silver eyes looked up at his brother before turning to his uncle. "Be good, okay?" Setzer asked. The boy gave a nod before walking over to his sibling. Seifer's bag dropped from his shoulder and he scooped up his little brother in his arms, propping the boy on his hip. "Now can I trust you to watch him for an entire week?"

"I still don't get what the Hell is going on," Seifer replied.

"I was informed that someone had an extra ticket to go to Japan and after talking with the courts, they decided that if Sephiroth can make it through a week with his brother with his companions around to keep him "in line", then they would consider allowing you to put in a bid for custody," Setzer explained. For the first time ever, Seifer didn't have a comeback. His mouth gaped as he tried to form a sentence while his uncle flashed him a smile and a wave. "Be good you two." Roxas got the door as Setzer took his leave back to his car. When the blonde turned around, he found Seifer's glare cutting deep into his soul.

"You want to explain this?" Seifer growled.

"Don't be mad, Seifer," Sephiroth said in a soft voice. "Besides, I wanted to come with." He hugged his brother's neck tighter to express how he was feeling and Seifer's glare softened only slightly.

"Do that again and I'll fuck you up," Seifer warned.

Roxas didn't respond as Seifer carried his brother farther into the house. He overheard Sephiroth comment to his brother on how he swore too much, although he didn't dare laugh in case Seifer overheard. Later that night, as everyone was retiring early for their morning departure, Roxas paused in brushing his teeth as there was a knock on the doorframe. He expected it to be Axel but instead he found his roommate standing there. Roxas spat out the toothpaste in his mouth and asked what the elder wanted. Seifer shifted his gaze to the floor and crossed his arms over his chest, shoulder leaning against the doorframe.

"I don't normally say this kind of shit but…thanks. He needed this," Seifer stated.

"To be honest, I think you needed it as much as he did," Roxas commented. He was shocked when Seifer smirked as the man never showed any inkling of a smile before, save for the time the pair went skateboarding. Roxas almost dropped his toothbrush out of shock.

"Maybe you're right," Seifer murmured. Then the smirk faded and his eyes shot towards the younger blonde's, shooting icy daggers once more. "But I meant it when I said I'd fuck you up if you pulled this shit again."

"Fair enough," Roxas agreed. Seifer gave a curt nod and peeled himself away from the doorframe, leaving Roxas to finish brushing his teeth alone.

The next morning everyone got up at the crack of dawn to get to the airport. Marluxia drove with Demyx and Zexion while Axel got Roxas, Seifer and their newest party member, Sephiroth. The boy continued sleeping with his head on his brother's lap the whole way to the airport and Roxas tried not to chuckle at the sight of Seifer being a loving elder sibling. Even though he tried to act cool and tough, Seifer became softer whenever Sephiroth was around. They made it through security and headed off on their flight to Japan. The long ride over was a bag of mixed emotions ranging from excited to anxious to stressed to exhausted. Roxas got to watch over Sephiroth, or Seph as he preferred his friends to call him, while Seifer took a nap. They ended up playing a puzzle game on the boy's tablet, a gift from his uncle, to which Roxas almost had his butt kicked and managed to pull out a win at the very end. He never realized Seph was so smart, although it made sense seeing how well Seifer did in his classes when he put forth some effort.

It was late at night when they landed in Japan and everyone had jet lag as they took their taxis to the ryokan. Many of them went to sleep, as they found it hard to sleep on the plane, while the others felt restless from the long day of travel. They had a few days before the wedding so Marluxia could get everything finished so most of the group would be off sightseeing while the main wedding party stayed behind. Roxas got to meet Tifa at breakfast the next morning and found her to be a fun to be around. Her personality was a bit dominating but she had this "shut up and follow me into battle to victory" sort of charisma about her that made her rather likeable.

The couple of tour days passed by quickly as they were engulfed in the new culture. Then the day of the wedding arrived. Tifa had pulled out all the stops to make the wedding of a more traditional fashion. Guests were dressed in yukatas and kimonos as well as a variety of accessories ranging from hair pins to umbrellas to fans, to which Demyx proudly carried with him at all times. Zexion took a fan as well, although it was to hide his face whenever he found himself blushing from Demyx's whisperings in his ear. When Roxas finished off making his yukata look nice, he noticed Axel stride over to him with a pink bamboo umbrella. He found himself smirking, more so due to the fact Axel had a smug look on his face as he paraded around with his umbrella.

When the wedding started, everyone had varying degrees of butterflies in their stomachs. Tifa looked gorgeous in her kimono while Marluxia's face looked the happiest Roxas had ever seen. As the pair exchanged vows, Roxas felt Axel slip his hand around his own. The blonde intertwined their fingers and gave his lover's hand a squeeze. After the wedding, they returned inside for a large banquet spread out for them. Roxas sat next to Sora and they exchanged summer stories while they ate. Riku and Kairi sat across from them and it wasn't hard for the blonde to tell how much better the trio's chemistry was now that the drama had passed. Although Roxas didn't miss the couple of looks Riku gave Sora when the brunette wasn't looking. Old crushes die hard.

Once dinner was competed, they ventured back outside to watch fireworks in lieu of a dance. Everyone grouped off around the garden to watch the colorful sparks rain across the sky. Roxas found himself a bench under a large willow tree with Axel and from where he sat he could see Demyx and Zexion standing hand in hand on the small bridge over the stream.

"What are you thinking?" Axel asked, leaning against Roxas's arm. His one hand was intertwined with the blonde's while the other held onto the umbrella propped on his shoulder.

"Marluxia looked so happy and I was really happy for him. For that brief moment, you couldn't even tell how stressful his life was. I'm glad he finally got to get away with the one he loves," Roxas replied.

"Yeah. It's weird to see the world keep moving on around you when it feels like you're standing still. It really makes you think. I mean it hasn't even been five years since I've met Marluxia and so much has happened between that time. It's hard to imagine what will happen in the next five years," Axel admitted.

"Well, finishing school would be a good start. Maybe an apartment," Roxas mused. "We'll need a bigger bed, though. Maybe a king if we save up enough."

Axel chuckled. "Ooh, big spender over here." They watched as a pair of red and blue fireworks shot off overhead with a loud crack.

"Would you ever want something like this?" Roxas asked.

"What, you mean marriage?" Axel asked. The blonde nodded and Axel gave a low hum in his throat. "Yeah, I think I would. I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life with you." He watched as the blonde's cheeks tinted pink, his blue gaze shifting to the gravel path beneath their feet. "What about you?"

"I'm actually scared I might jinx things," Roxas admitted.

Axel snorted. "You're not a black cat, Rox. And I haven't seen you break any mirrors or spill any salt shakers lately so I think your luck will hold out on you."

"You know what I mean," Roxas shot back, nudging the elder. "I just really, really love being with you and everything about you. Every day just gives me a new reason for me to love you more and ever since I moved into the townhouse with you, I've felt greedy. I just want you forever…" Roxas trailed off and looked over at the red head. Axel's face was a bit shocked yet touched by the blonde's words.

"Wow, Rox, I honestly don't know what to say," Axel said.

"See, I cursed you," Roxas teased.

"Maybe with your dashing good looks," Axel shot back. He tilted his head and they met for a long, drawn out kiss under the exploding sky. Their fingers squeezed tighter against each other, love pouring out between them. As they parted, they heard a whistle from nearby and say Demyx giving them goo-goo eyes. Axel smirked and moved his umbrella in front of him and his boyfriend to shield them from prying eyes. Then he devoured Roxas's lips once more.

XxXxX

Roxas breathed in the hot August air and breathed out a happy sigh of relief. One week off from classes before they started for the fall semester, meaning he had an entire week of nothing to do but relax. He also could barely contain his excitement because his long overdue trip to the beach was coming up. The last couple of weeks had been hectic, to say the least. Marluxia came home from his honeymoon to find stacks of e-mails waiting for him. Sora and Riku came back early while Kairi went off to visit family for the last week of summer before returning to her position as ice cream maiden. Roxas had missed her working at the ice cream shop since she was his go-to for free treats.

Returning home from class, he found the townhouse in a similar state of disarray like it had been for the wedding. This time the luggage was far less travel worthy and much more beach friendly. Towels, sunscreen, snacks, beach balls, a radio that looked like it had seen better days. Roxas frowned at the radio and wondered where the heck it had come from. He later learned it was Sora's and he used it at the beach all the time, hence the pitted appearance from the sand and salt. Seifer wasn't coming this time around as he had a few appointments with the courts back home. Sephiroth, Setzer and even Marluxia put in a good word for him so the courts were determining if he was capable for a guardian status. Roxas wished him the best of luck and, although Seifer waved it off, he could tell the senior was edging to get home.

The next morning the group headed out to the shore. Axel had Riku and Sora in the backseat of his car while Roxas stared out the passenger seat window. Ahead Marluxia led them along the highway with Demyx and Zexion in the backseat. At some point, Roxas's ears perked up at a familiar sound. He recognized the song as the one he heard when he first sat in Axel's car and he found he couldn't help giggle to himself.

"Lying naked all the day," he murmured.

"Roxas, inappropriate," Sora scolded as he overhead.

"Isn't that what they're saying, though?" Riku asked. Axel and Roxas burst out laughing while Sora lectured his friend on the proper lyrics and how it was rude to assume lyrics based on how they sounded. Roxas was surprised how long the lecture actually went on and he had tears in his eye when Sora finally finished. He glanced back at Riku and the silver haired man had a smirk on his face. He didn't look like he minded getting scolded one bit.

They pulled up to the hotel and checked in, dropping their bags before heading straight to the beach. As Roxas stepped out onto the sand, he found he could only stare. The ocean was beautiful. Blue sky reflected perfectly off the waves making everything a shimmering shade of aquamarine. The sands were a crispy yellow dotted with blooms of color from beach blankets and towels. He jolted out of his daze as Sora clapped him on the shoulder.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Sora said.

"It looks so much cooler in person. How did you get so lucky to live on the shore?" Roxas complained. Sora snickered and ushered Roxas farther down the beach.

"Lucky shot, I guess. You'll have to come visit sometime. I can show you around all the islands just off the coast," Sora offered.

"Sounds like a deal," Roxas agreed.

The group set up camp on the beach and played Frisbee until lunch, their skin covered in sweat and sand as they plopped down for sandwiches and sodas. Once their food settled, they hit the water to cool off from the hot morning sun. Amidst their fun, Roxas lost track of time. By the time he wandered up to the beach to get a drink, he found it was already quarter to four. He plopped down and cracked open a water bottle. As his muscles settled, he found he was exhausted from all the physical activity. The sun's rays warmed his wet skin like a blanket and Roxas began to nod off. He managed to lie down on his stomach and nestle his head in his arms before he passed out.

He woke an hour later hot and groggy from absorbing so much sun. He noticed he was no longer alone and found Zexion reading next to him. Roxas managed to heave himself upright and rub the gunk that was pooling in his eyes.

"Sleep well?" Zexion asked, not looking up from his page.

"Is it possible to feel more tired after you sleep?" Roxas asked. He chugged the other half of his water bottle and felt a little better. As he went to stretch his arms, he winced as his back gave a twang of pain. Peering over his shoulder, Roxas found a large sunburn had formed where his sunscreen had worn off. Swearing under his breath, he poked at his red flesh.

"You're not supposed to pick at it." The pair looked up to find a wet and grinning Axel strolling up to them. Zexion smirked and dug out a bottle of lotion with aloe from his bag, tossing it to the red head. Then he returned to his book. Axel dried off a bit before plopping down next to Roxas with a content sigh. "How was the nap?" he asked.

"Good, until I woke up half lobster," Roxas replied.

"Lie down and I'll rub some of this stuff on your back," Axel said, holding up the lotion. He dug around in his own pack for his sunscreen to reapply it to the blonde so he didn't burn further. Roxas lied on his stomach and nestled his head in his arms once more. He sucked in his breath as the cold lotion stung against his skin. Then he relaxed as the aloe began to cool his fiery hot flesh, Axel's magic fingers doing their work on his muscles. He started to feel sleepy again.

"You know, you look cute when you sleep," Axel commented into the blonde's ear. He had kept his voice low but he suspected Zexion heard all the same. Roxas replied with a hum, almost like a purr as Axel massaged the lotion into his skin. As Axel began applying more sunscreen, Roxas drifted into a doze with the warm sun caressing him.

"He's really warmed up to you since this winter," Zexion mentioned, not looking up from his book.

"We wanted to take things slow," Axel rebutted. "Can you image how Roxas would react if it were a year ago?"

Zexion snorted and turned the page of his book. "You'd be eating sand the rest of the day," he chuckled. "Hard to believe you met him just a year ago."

"Nah, we met before that," Axel corrected. Zexion looked up from his book with a perked eyebrow. "We had bumped into each other a couple times in high school but we never talked until the day I packed up to transfer schools. It's funny but when we met again in the library, I didn't recognize him. He wasn't the awkward, shy blonde I recalled from all those years ago."

"Instead he was the in your face blonde ready to snap anyone's neck in two," Zexion noted. "So what drew you to him? When you first brought him over you looked like regular classmates. Then at Halloween you both kept looking at each other all night, although I think Roxas just wanted to eat your steampunk body like a piece of candy at the time."

Axel finished rubbing sunscreen over Roxas's back and sat back on his hands, eyes cast out on the blue water. "You know, I don't have an answer to that," he admitted. "I just I would call it curiosity. At first I just wanted to help out but then I started wondering what made him tick. Then he kept popping into my head more often, which started to drive me insane, and then I made an idiot of myself and dropped a bomb on him at Halloween." Zexion's eyebrow rose once more. "I kissed him."

"Ah." Zexion nodded and looked out at the water as well. Demyx and Marluxia were trying to hold their own against Sora and Riku in a game of water volleyball but they were losing pretty badly. Zexion chuckled as Demyx was hit in the face with the ball and dramatically fell backwards into the ocean.

"So what about you?" Roxas murmured. The pair looked down at the blonde as he cracked open his eyes again, sleep threatening to take him as he spoke. "How did you end up falling for Dem?"

Zexion closed his book and set it aside, his arms wrapping around his knees. "I suppose you haven't heard this story yet," he mused. Roxas forced himself awake so he could listen and adjusted his head on his arms, giving Zexion a nod when he was ready. "When I first started college, I was in a dark place. High school was a bit of a nightmare for me. I ended up raiding my parent's medicine cabinet a lot of times just to get some sort of reaction out of myself because I was tired of feeling numb all the time. I managed to hide it pretty well until I accidentally OD'd and news spread pretty quick around town. Then my classmates hated me because I was a drug seeker and because I was one of the smartest kids in school. My parents home schooled me my senior year but my heart wasn't really into it. College was a way for them to get off my back and I tried my hardest to set myself straight again." Zexion's lips soured. "It didn't work.

"I kept up my bad habits for quite some time and even went to a counselor for awhile. I would purposely get sick so I could have an excuse to go to the clinic. What I did wasn't healthy. Then I was roped into doing an assignment with Demyx for class and everything started changing. The way he smiled it just…it enveloped me. It captured me in such a way that I've never felt before. He was so happy even when nothing would go his way. Of course, back then he looked a bit more intimidating with his…unique style choices. It soon became like a drug going to class just to see him there." Zexion paused to take a steadying breath before continuing. "I found him in the library one day and when I went to talk to him I was a bit doped up from my latest experimental drug mixer. My words just kind of fell out of my mouth like a drunken idiot and I asked him out." Zexion chuckled. "I had never seen him blush so hard before. Of course he turned me down but he didn't stop trying to be there for me.

"Demyx somehow knew there was something wrong so he would sometimes go out of his way to do small things for me. One day I stood waiting for the rain to stop, as I didn't bring an umbrella that day, and out of nowhere Demyx stuck his grinning face into mine and offered me an escort home under his tiny umbrella. He kept it held mostly over me so by the time I got back to my dorm he was soaked. I offered him some dry clothes and we somehow ended upstairs on my dorm room floor, both in my pajamas as our clothes tumbled in the dryer. He found out how much I loved reading and kept asking me all sorts of questions, even when he didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Of course, all I could think of at the time is "why do you care?". When he left that night, I felt so hollow and empty I went a little overboard again. My roommate was the one who found me unconscious the next morning.

"When I woke up in the hospital, there was Demyx sitting there in the chair plucking random chords on his guitar. I was so confused to why he even knew I was in the hospital until he mentioned how I missed class. I had never missed class before and he was worried." Zexion hugged his knees tighter to his chest. "I sat there and cried like a toddler. I didn't know what else to do. Demyx sat there with me the entire time holding my hand and passing me tissues, and every time my eyes managed to un-swell enough for me to look at him he was giving me a smile.

"After that day, he started hanging out with me more and he helped me get through a lot of dark days where I would be pill seeking. He always knew, too. The second I got even an inkling he would plaster on this goofy grin and drag me somewhere to keep my mind occupied. Sometimes he would play me music as a sort of therapy. It helped me stay calm. One day he came to class and his smile was nowhere to be seen. When I asked what was wrong, he said he had a fight with his girlfriend and they were no longer dating. I wasn't sure how to cheer him up but he said just hanging out was enough for him.

"A week later I went to read at the library and Demyx popped out of nowhere all nervous. He asked if I wanted to go to a movie and kept rambling on and on I had to put a hand over his mouth to get him to shut up," Zexion said with a chuckle. Roxas and Axel watched as the sadness melted away from the man's face as his eyes lit up, old memories coming back to light. "So we went to see a movie and our hands brushed as he blindly reached for his soda. I must have been blushing because he just stared at me for what felt like an eternity. Then he grabbed my hand and asked me out. I was stunned to the point Demyx thought he melted my brain and had to snap me back to reality. When I did manage to get a grip on my sanity, it finally registered in my brain what he was asking. I didn't really give him an answer. I just grabbed his shirt and kissed him." Axel and Roxas burst into snickers while Zexion tucked a loose hair behind his ear. "Yes, not one of my proudest moments.

"That day forward we spent as much time together as we could. He wrote me a silly little song that I hated at first but now he hums it to me so I can fall asleep at night. One of my musical therapies, as he calls it." Zexion looked out at the four playing in the water again. Demyx noticed him staring and gave a wave with a grin plastered on his face. Zexion returned the wave before turning back to the pair beside him. "So that's my story. Not the most endearing but Demyx really changed my life for the better. I can't thank him enough for that."

"You two look out for each other a lot," Axel noted. "I think it's inspiring."

"Yeah," Roxas murmured. He glanced up at the red head next to him, his mind thinking about how strangely similar his story was that of Zexion's. They had both found their diamond while amongst the rough and it changed their lives for the better.

Not long after Zexion finished his story, the others clambered up the beach declaring their hunger be satiated. So the group packed up and headed to the restaurant there on the beach, each eating their fill of seafood and barbeque. As the sun set, it turned the ocean crystal orange and the sky a vibrant shade of pink. The boys toasted with drinks and table top s'mores to a perfect day and to the end of their summer, each hoping the next year would be another one they would never forget.


	16. 16-That's Why I Love You

**A/N-So we're not wasting any time with this one, lemons right out of the gate! Wham! Bam! If you're not a citrus fan, skip to the second section break and watch out for the brief lemon at the end. On a different note, who's excited for KH 2.8 and 3? :D Read and enjoy my lovely readers! Only two chapters left! (HA! I totally got it wrong. See how bad I am at predicting chapters?) If I sit my lazy ass down and start working, I may even get the rest of the story up before the end of the year (no promises! :D)**

The rooms for the evening were styled with a sea theme but in a subtle way. Roxas was glad there wasn't any mermaid lamps or sea shells imbedded in the furniture. They had three rooms rented for the night with Marluxia taking a suite to himself so he didn't disturb anyone with his late night work catchup. Sora and Riku got a room to themselves as Axel volunteered to have him and Roxas stay with Zexion and Demyx. It seemed like an odd request but no one argued. Roxas had a feeling Axel was up to some scheming but what it had to do with rooming with Demyx and Zexion was beyond his stretch of imagination.

As the night grew later, Axel invited Roxas on a walk along the beach. Toes dug into the damp sand as they stayed just out of the lapping wave's reach. Moonlight shimmered on the water like glittering diamonds and the sound of the surf echoed all around them. It felt tranquil, save for the occasional scare when a tiny crab darted underfoot. When Roxas was distracted looking out at the water, Axel pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the beach. He fiddled with his collar and the jingle of his tag alerted his companion, earning the blonde's perplexed attention.

"What are you doing?" Roxas asked.

"Going for a swim," Axel replied with a grin. He tossed his collar on his shirt.

"But we're not wearing our suits," Roxas shot back.

"Who said we needed them?" Axel pressed, popping the button on his shorts. Roxas's face flushed and his gaze darted around the beach. "Don't worry, no one's going to see."

"Axel!" Roxas hissed.

"We're far enough down the beach no one's going to notice. Besides…" Axel covered up Roxas's lips with his own, feeling the blonde melt beneath him like chocolate. "I'm here with you." Roxas felt awkward as Axel slipped off his shorts and boxers, his skinny body diving into the ocean once more. When the red head surface, he shot the blonde a grin. Clamping his teeth down on his piercing, Roxas removed his shirt and set it next to Axel. He kept glancing up and down the beach as he took off his collar and hooked his thumbs under the waistband of his shorts. After one last check, Roxas slipped out of his shorts and dove into the water a little less gracefully than his companion. As he surface, salt started burning in his eyes like it had during his afternoon swim. Roxas waded out far enough so he was up to his ribs while Axel lazily swam in circles around him. For some reason it reminded Roxas of a manatee.

Just to be an ass, Roxas sent a wave of water at the red head as he was passing by. Axel coughed and spluttered the salt water from his mouth all while Roxas shot him a smirk.

"What was that for?" Axel pressed.

"Showing off," Roxas replied.

Axel sent a spray of water back at his friend. "You can swim too, you moron."

"Yeah, but I don't look as hot doing it," Roxas rebutted. Axel paused, his mind processing the statement.

"Well…I suppose I am pretty hot." A smile pulled up on the corners of his lips. Axel glided over and wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist. He placed a kiss on Roxas's neck, dragging his lips along the skin up to his ear. "If you ask nicely, I'll teach you." Roxas shivered and murmured something under his breath that elder can't make out. Axel licked the shell of Roxas's ear, coaxing about a response from the blonde. "Hmm?" the red head hummed.

"Ungh…please," Roxas moaned. A grin blossomed on the elder man's face. He tilted Roxas's head upwards so their lips met and the blond turned in his arms so they were facing each other. Roxas's arms snaked around his neck and pulled himself higher in the water so they were on the same level. A hum echoed in his throat as he felt Axel's nails gently scraped down his back.

"Careful or we'll go too far," Axel warned as their lips pried apart.

"Oh, but I was planning on going all the way," Roxas rebutted with a gleam in his eye.

"Well, in that case…" Their lips met again and Roxas wrapped his legs around the man's hips so his arms didn't have to strain anymore. He released a, dare he say it, unmanly squeal as Axel suddenly tipped back and submerged the pair of them under the waves. The salty taste of the ocean leaked through the cracks in their lips and reminded Roxas of his favorite ice cream treat. Axel stood up and broke the pair of them through the surface, both gasping for air as water rained down from their hair.

"Ass," Roxas panted between breaths. Axel chuckled and captured his lips once more. Roxas felt his breathing growing hot and heavy as they continued, his skin becoming electrified with each touch. He ground his hips against the other to feel more friction, releasing a pleased moan into the other's mouth. Axel's fingers ghosted over his sensitive groin, making Roxas lust for more. He moved his lips to nibble on the elder's earlobe, whispering between bites, "Axel, you're teasing me."

"Because it's fun," Axel replied.

"It's more fun when we're fucking," Roxas rasped, trailing his tongue over the outer shell of the red head's ear. His breath hitched in his throat as Axel's hand clamped down on him hard, giving him a heavy stroke. Roxas's finger tangled in the dripping, crimson locks as his breath began to come out in ragged pants against his lover's neck. Each touch sent courses of ecstasy through his body, tension coiling in every muscle of his body. He threw back his head, cheeks heavy with blush, as he tried to silence the moan escaping his throat. His body jerked as he came to a climax and then everything was calm. Roxas rested his head on the elder man's shoulder as he caught his breath, warm tingles running through his body.

"Feeling better?" Axel asked. Roxas nodded and placed a kiss against the elder's neck. He could feel the blonde starting to grow heavier in his arms. "I think we should get you to bed."

"No…" Roxas whined.

"Rox, you're falling asleep as we speak," Axel shot back. Roxas frowned and tried to fight off the exhaustion from the day, although he admitted he wasn't doing a very good job. "Come on. We can have a little fun when we get back," Axel promised.

"But what about you?" Roxas asked, peering up at the man's emerald eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

"I can wait fifteen minutes. I mean I made it through the day without molesting you or having to resort to Zexion chaining me down, so I think I can restrain myself for a bit longer," Axel commented. He placed a kiss on the blonde's forehead and allowed Roxas to stand back on his own two feet. "Come on. We should shower up before Demyx and Zexion decide to spend the night in the tub together."

"Right." Roxas frowned, looking up at the shore before looking back at Axel. "Shit. We don't have any towels."

"Wet shorts never killed anyone."

"Yeah, but they chafe! The burn alone can send you into a frenzy. And speaking of burn…" Roxas ground his teeth together as his back began to sting. "Did you have to run your nails down my back?"

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry. I totally forgot you were burnt back there. How's it feel?" Axel pressed. He tried to take a look at the blonde's back but Roxas turned away with a scowl on his face.

"Leave it alone!" Roxas protested. He swatted the red head's hand away as Axel tried to manually turn the blonde around. "It'll be your fault if I can't sleep on my back tonight."

"You never sleep on your back anyway," Axel shot back, placing his hands on his hips.

"Hey!" The pair jumped and turned back to the beach where a man with short blonde hair and a trim beard glared at them. He had on the lifeguard uniform of red shorts and a white t-shirt, although it was his eyes that freaked them out. His orange gaze reflected the moon's rays to make a cold bronze cutting through their argument. "The beach is closed. You need to get back to your hotel, that is unless you'd rather me drag you out to the parking lot."

"S-sorry! We got carried away!" Axel joked with a weak smile, his hand scratching the back of his head. The man's frown deepened. Axel's grin faded and he looked to the blonde beside him.

"You wouldn't have some extra towels, by chance?" Roxas asked. "Our friends stole ours while we weren't paying attention."

"Steal your suits too?" the man quipped. Roxas's eyes shot to the water as he failed to come up with a reply. The man trudged up the beach to where his dune buggy sat along the pathway and came back with a pair of small, hotel towels. He tossed them out to the pair, who wrapped them around their waists before coming ashore and gathering up their clothes. The man kept his glare of the pair as they took the walk of shame back up the beach. Axel and Roxas didn't speak the entire trip back.

When they made it to the room, they found Demyx sitting on the end of the bed with a carton of apple juice he was sucking down. The dirty blonde shot them a strange look as the pair deposited the clothes on their own bed. "What were you two up to, pray tell?" he asked.

"Swimming," Axel replied in a slightly defeated tone. Demyx looked back to where Zexion was lounging on the pillows behind him reading. They exchanged silent messages with their eyes before Zexion set his book down, getting to his feet.

"Couldn't get your fill during the afternoon?" the silver haired man pried. "At least nothing you could get away with in public?" He grinned as Roxas's cheeks tinted pink and Axel kept his gaze locked on some random corner of the room. Zexion waited until Axel started heading to the bathroom to shower before he clasped a hand down on Roxas's shoulder. The blonde looked up and he felt the color drain from his face.

"Don't you dare…" Roxas warned. Too late as Zexion scooped him up in his arms and to prevent him from leaving. "Axel!" Roxas pleaded. The red head was about to spin around when he was shoved forward from behind into the bathroom and the door shut behind him.

"Demyx!" Axel shouted on the other side of the door. The dirty blonde snickered and held the door shut so Axel couldn't escape.

"We're sorry, Axel. This has to be done," Zexion stated in a very matter-of-fact way. Roxas squirmed as has as he could, forcing Zexion to drop Roxas onto the bed. Thinking back later, it was probably the worst thing he could have done as the collision with the springs made him bounce and fall off the bed backwards. Roxas hissed as he landed on his sunburned back and his skin scraped against the rough carpet. Before he could get to his feet, Zexion yanked him upright and scooped him up once more. "If you're not going to sit still, then we're just going to have to lock you up," Zexion warned.

"What?! No!" Roxas protested. He tried to squirm again but the pain in his shoulders was still echoing from the fall so he was forced to allow Zexion to carry him off across the hall to Sora and Riku's room. Roxas kept a tight hold of his bundle of clothes against his chest as Zexion knocked on the door and a very confused Sora answered.

"Sorry to intrude, but may we use your shower? Ours is currently occupied," Zexion requested.

"Sora! Help me!" Roxas pleaded.

"Um…" the brunette said, unsure how to respond. Zexion turned as he heard the room behind him open, Axel's glaring shooting daggers at him. The silver haired man managed to worm past Sora and lock the pair in the bathroom before Axel could reach them. "Is something going on?" Sora asked.

"Just ignore them," Riku chimed in from where he sat on his bed. "They do these sorts of shenanigans a lot." Sora wasn't so sure but he decided not to play a part.

Axel glared at the bathroom door and turned to the brunette. "Anything sounds suspicious in there you come and get me. Got it?" he ordered.

"Uh, yeah. Sure," Sora replied. Axel stormed out of the room and, once Zexion was sure he was gone, he popped his head out of the bathroom door.

"Thanks guys. I owe you ice cream later," he said before locking himself in the bathroom once more. Sora perked up at the sound of ice cream but Riku just rolled his eyes. Roxas sat frowning on the toilet with his clothes bunch up against his stomach, his eyes shooting disapproving waves towards his elder. Zexion released a sigh and leaned against the door as the room fell quiet. "Finally, some time away from those two," he murmured.

"Mind telling me what this was about?" Roxas growled.

"I will, but first you need to get your butt in the tub," Zexion stated. Roxas wanted to protest but he knew he didn't have much of a choice. He stood and arranged his clothes on the counter while Zexion filled the bathtub with hot water. Roxas slipped off his towel and climbed in, wincing as the hot water hit his back. Zexion knelt on a folded towel and set the little bottles of soap and shampoo next to him. He motioned for Roxas to turn so the blonde rotated his back to the elder. It was hard to stay mad at someone who gave a wicked scalp massage when lathering in shampoo. Roxas would have liked it more if it were Axel though. "How you holding up?" Zexion started out asking.

"My back's destroyed," Roxas replied.

"I meant your general well-being." Zexion knew he struck a chord when Roxas didn't make a reply. He ran his hands over the blonde's shoulders, feeling the built up tension within them. "I think we were both a little overwhelmed today."

"I'm surprised you could tell," Roxas murmured. "Even Axel doesn't notice right away."

"Well, it takes a broken person to recognize one," Zexion replied. He allowed Roxas to rinse his hair before starting up his massage again, this time with conditioner. "I noticed when we went to dinner you kept fiddling with your lip piercing. What has you bothered?"

"Axel." Roxas wrapped his arms around his knees and rested his chin on top. "I'm so scared I'm going to lose him. I can't go through that again."

"I'm sure he feels the same way." They paused again for Roxas to rinse his hair and Zexion gently washed the inflamed skin on the blonde's back while Roxas wiped down the rest of his body with soap to get rid of the salt. "You should talk to him. Sharing your fears will not only make you feel better but it'll reassure Axel that you trust him. He worries about you a lot, you know."

"I know," Roxas murmured.

Zexion chuckled lightly. "It's vastly more than you know. This summer, Axel forgot it was Monday and you had class. When he didn't find you home with no note to be seen, he panicked and almost raced out the door to find you. Demyx and Marluxia both whacked him upside the head for that."

Roxas's shoulders sagged. "He's still worried I might…" Roxas couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Yes, he is. Demyx is still worried about me that way too. All the reassurance in the world won't get him to stop but if you two stay close, you'll come to trust each other even in risky situations. Two years ago Demyx wouldn't even let me mention the word hospital but now he trusts me enough to let me visit others. He knows I'll be alright and if I need him he's just a phone call away." Roxas yelped as Zexion smacked his hand in the middle of his sunburn. "Try to stay positive."

Roxas ground his teeth together as the sting dissipated. "Thanks. Did you have to hit me so hard?" Zexion chuckled and rose to his feet. He left the bathroom so Roxas could finish rinsing off in the shower and the blonde changed into his comfy clothes when he was done. When he returned to his own room, he found Demyx nowhere to be found and Zexion gathering up his change of clothes.

"Well, I'm off to shower so don't wait up while we're gone," Zexion announced as he headed to the bathroom.

"Huh?" Roxas asked, tilting his head in confusion as the elder passed by him.

Zexion paused to grin at the doorway, making Roxas's stomach drop. "Welcome to our realm, Roxas." Then the man slipped into the bathroom where the shower was already running. Roxas black boxed his thoughts as the meaning of the words hit him and he went over to sit on the bed by Axel's feet.

"You okay?" Axel pressed, his face lined with worry.

"Yeah. Zexion just helped me wash my back," Roxas reassured him.

"That was nice of him," Axel murmured. He was surprised when Roxas crawled over and snuggled up against his side, using his shoulder like a pillow. "Tired?"

"No. Well, yes but I need to refuel."

"Refuel?"

"I missed out on my Axel-shower bonding time," Roxas explained. He smiled as Axel placed a kiss on the top of his head.

"Well, that's just a travesty. We'll have to remedy that." Roxas burst into giggles as Axel flipped him over and took his breath away with the touch of his lips.

XxXxX

Zexion opened the door and released a happy sigh as the steam billowed out against his skin. He had hoped to get to bed sooner but the dirty blonde wrapped around his waist was a very persuasive anchor. "Do you think an hour was enough time?" Demyx asked in Zexion's ear. "My bet says no."

"Hmm, well I think they're probably passed out cold," Zexion rebutted. They peered into the room to find both Roxas and Axel sleeping so hard they looked like they were unconscious. By the look of it, they had barely finished their last run before Axel half-collapsed on top of his boyfriend and faded into sleep. "Told you."

"Wow. I had no idea they would pass out that fast," Demyx commented.

"Marluxia told us about Christmas, remember?" Zexion reminded.

"Oh, yeah. Well, that means more sexy time for us."

"Only if you're able to keep it down." Zexion sauntered over to the bed with Demyx and shoved the dirty blonde down onto the sheets. "My turn." He straddled over his lover's waist and ran his long fingers over the warm skin along Demyx's chest. "So what shall it be tonight? A little Simon Says?"

"You know I'm no good at that game," Demyx countered.

"All the more reason to play," Zexion whispered in the other man's ear. "Why don't you start by taking my breath away?" Demyx smirked and pulled Zexion down so their lips collided, tongues attacking each other until they ran out of air. As Zexion pulled away panting, he breathed, "I didn't say Simon Says."

"Simon has no hold on me," Demyx murmured, pulling their lips together once more.

XxXxX

Morning came and Roxas felt a familiar sense of déjà vu as he woke up stiff, sore, and bruised. Although there was also the sensation of his back skin pulling as he shifted so that was new. As he cracked open his eyes, he found Axel still fast asleep on top of him. Roxas cursed and heaved the red head off of him, sitting up with a plethora of painful joints. His lungs rejoiced as being able to fully expand once more and he stretched his sore muscles in the morning solitude. He glanced down at Axel sleeping on without him and found he wanted to run his hands all over the man's bare chest. Deciding not to be creepy first thing in the morning, he settled for placing a kiss on the man's temple, watching the man's eyes flutter open as he awoke.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," Roxas apologized. Axel groaned and rolled over, his own body feeling like it had just come out of the washing machine spin cycle. He sat up and yawned, water beading up in the corners of his eyes.

"'M fine," Axel muttered. He noticed his blonde's gaze was elsewhere and followed it to the other bed where Zexion lay curled up in Demyx's chest.

"They look cute together," Roxas murmured.

Axel wrapped his arms around the blonde's shoulders and pulled him into his lap, placing a kiss on the top of his head. "Yeah, but they have nothing on you, Roxy." The younger man chuckled as Axel nuzzled his nose into the sea of blonde locks.

"Do we have to go back today?" Roxas complained. "I don't want to start school in a few days."

"But this year we get to live with each other," Axel reminded. "Plus Kairi will be back so we can pick up ice cream once we get back to campus."

"Mmm, that's just want I was thinking."

XxXxX

The new semester started and it didn't take long before the toll of upper level classes weighed down upon the townhouse like a giant bag of bricks. Sora seemed the only one not affected but he still had plenty to do. Free time began to dwindle away as they ventured into September. Roxas felt like he was chained to his desk whenever he wasn't in class or at the coffee shop, although he was the only one to blame for taking twenty credits. It wasn't all bad as Seifer was out most of the time and the few times he was home he was working on his own school work. With all the work, the weeks blurred together and soon Roxas started losing track what day of the week it actually was. His only reprieve would be occasional Friday nights out with the townhouse group or a few spare minutes hanging out with Axel. Even his beloved ice cream had been put on hold once classes got underway.

September breezed into October and exams came around once more. Roxas woke one Sunday morning to find the townhouse eerily quiet, especially since it was past noon. He glanced at Seifer, who was still tangled up in his sheets from being up until four working on his laptop, and slipped downstairs. Zexion sat at the counter reading a paper and sipping a coffee from the coffee shop on campus, alerting the blonde he had already gone to the library for the day.

"Morning," Roxas greeted. The senior looked up from his article.

"Afternoon, more like it," he said with a smirk. Roxas waved the thought away and started making himself a toasted bagel. "Have plans for Halloween yet?"

The blonde paused as he pressed the lever down on the toaster. "Already?"

"Mmm hmm. Two weeks from Saturday. I think Marluxia's planning on sticking around for the campus party again this year so if you want to join the rest of us, you're more than welcome. It'll be a smaller crowd this year, though," Zexion stated. Roxas pondered to himself as his bagel became crisp. "Of course, Marluxia will probably want to see you in a costume so you might want to pick something out in less you want to go as a cat again."

"Do you have ideas yet?" Roxas asked. His bagel popped and the blonde smeared jam over the toasted surface.

"I lack the creativity for holidays, save for baking. Usually I have Demyx come up with an idea for me," Zexion noted.

"If it's a smaller group, maybe we could do a group theme," Roxas brought up.

The silver haired man nodded as he sipped his coffee. "That might be able to work. We'll just have to think of something clever then."

Roxas smirked. "Oh, I already have an idea in mind." Zexion arched an eyebrow as Roxas took a bite of his bagel.

XxXxX

The night of spooks, tricks, and treats arrived, filling the campus once more with the familiar holiday décor. Roxas's idea was rather well received since it allowed the group some freedom with their costumes: animal ear headbands. When he first pitched the idea, everyone knew he was getting back at Marluxia for the previous year but they went along with it anyway. Demyx was going as a bear with Zexion as a sword wielding mouse at his side. Marluxia wore a tuxedo and fashioned his white rabbit ears onto a top hat. Sora and Riku wore their old lifeguarding uniforms from when they worked in high school, the pair wearing lion and dog ears respectively. Kairi joined in with her reindeer ears, complete with little fuzzy antlers, to go with her Santa dress. She mentioned she had run out of ideas for Halloween and decided to wear the costume she was going to wear to a Christmas party later in the year. Axel was dressed in fire nation regalia with a pair of tiger ears nestled in his wild locks. Seifer opted out for the year and decided to stay home to decompress after a long day of yelling at his siblings.

All that remained was Roxas, who left out what he was going as to keep the suspense high. As he descended the stairs, rushing as they were already late, he was greeted with smiles and compliments alike. Over a tank top and loose fitting, black sweat pants he wore various pieces of armor and a pair of white gloves. A red cape was clasped around his neck with a gold pin and a little gold crown sat perched between his cat ears.

"Nice!" Demyx commented, looking the younger blonde over. "Although I would have expected you to not dress up like a cat after last year."

"He's not a cat, he's a cait sith," Zexion corrected. "They're from Celtic folklore, although I think Roxas went more for the "anime" approach. Why the armor, pray tell?"

"I'm a guardian cait sith," Roxas explained. He sauntered over to Axel and hooked his arm with the red head's. "Have to protect the fire lord after all." Demyx snorted while Zexion rolled his eyes.

"My own personal guard. I like the sound of that," Axel mused, pecking his boyfriend on the cheek. The group hurried to get pictures done before heading over to the party. Soon time began to fly away filled with plates of food, dancing and mingling with classmates. Roxas was a bit bummed Hayner, Pence and Olette didn't come but they had previous engagements they agreed to so Roxas couldn't blame them.

There came a point when Axel felt like he was being followed. When he casually looked around, he found a trio of girls sticking close to where he and Roxas wandered to. He had a hunch they were checking out the blonde, who was oblivious to the trio keeping within range of them. Axel nudged his friend and nodded towards the girls.

"What?" Roxas asked.

"Go talk to them," Axel urged.

"…why?"

"They've been following us half the night. The least we can do is acknowledge them and grant them the pleasantries of conversation," Axel explained.

Roxas frowned. "You read too much." He turned towards the girls and they all huddled together, talking in rushed whispers. One girl's face looked like a tomato it was blushing so hard, making him feel bad about his previous assumptions. Giving the red head one last glance, Roxas strode over to the trio and the blushing girl's friends whirled her around. She twisted her hair braid in her hands, knees shaking as she tried to find her voice.

"Um…can…would you want to dance with me?" the girl stammered.

Roxas blinked, his brain processing the questions. "Oh. Do I…know you?" he asked.

"N-no!" the girl exclaimed. "You just have class before me in the same room. I always see you through the window on the door sitting in the back of the class. You always look so focused I just can't help but admire you." Roxas frowned, unsure what to do. He had never been on the receiving end before and it made him feel awkward. He glanced back at Axel and the red head gave him an encouraging nod.

"Alright," Roxas agreed. The girl's face lit up and seeing that joy made it worth a few minutes of his time. Roxas escorted her out to the dance floor, her friends talking excitedly between themselves as the left. Axel couldn't help but chuckle at the scene and his eyes watched the blonde move on the dance floor. Even if it wasn't himself who Roxas was dancing with, Axel was still going to enjoy the show. As he watched, he felt a tap on his shoulder to find a girl asking him to dance as well. Not willing to be left out of the fun, Axel accepted and headed out to the dance floor.

Roxas found he was having a lot of fun dancing with the random girl. Her face had a constant blush on her cheeks, which was rather cute he had to admit. When he asked, he found out her name was Tara. She was a freshman with no idea what she wanted to get a degree for yet. Roxas gave her some encouragement and her cheeks turned a deeper shade of magenta. Four songs later, Roxas gave the girl a bow as they finished their dance and she shifted foot to foot as her nerves played with her feelings.

"You did great," Roxas complimented.

"Thanks. You were great," Tara replied. "Oh, I mean…shoot." Roxas chuckled, find she reminded him of himself from his early high school days. "Um, would you…I mean would you want to…ever….um…"

"Go on a date?" Roxas finished. Tara nodded. "Sorry, but my heart already belongs to someone else."

Tara's face fell. "Oh. Sorry, I didn't know."

"Hey, cheer up. You'll find someone special," Roxas encouraged. He offered her a smile and Tara found a weak smile blooming on her own lips. She jumped with a squeal as Axel came out of nowhere and latched himself onto Roxas.

"There you are!" Axel exclaimed. "I have been looking everywhere for you." He turned to Tara with a warm smile. "I hope he didn't embarrass you with his terrible dancing skills."

The girl giggled, clasping her hands in front of her. "No, he was great."

"That's good to hear. Thank you for keeping an eye on him for me." Axel released Roxas and took one of Tara's hands, gently placing a kiss on the back of it. Her face turned as red as the man's hair as she tried to stammer a reply to Axel's previous statement. Axel hooked his arm around Roxas's waist and flashed Tara a wink. "Now if you excuse me, I require the services of my personal guard." Tara watched as the blonde was led away yet she found a smile creeping up on her lips. She re-clasped her hand in front of her, happy the pair could find happiness together.

"I guess the best ones really are always taken," she muttered under her breath.

XxXxX

Axel frowned at his inbox full of e-mails, ninety seven to be precise. Some were general garbage e-mails from the University while others were threads from group messages about projects or study groups. Then there was the other half that all came from the same, anonymous sources. Ever since he started class for the fall semester, he had started getting strange e-mails from the anonymous donor. At first Axel thought they were just junk mail or someone had the wrong address. He even tried blocking them only for the messages to come from other unknown e-mails. What's worse, as the semester progressed, the messages turned from annoying to weird to creepy to borderline psychotic.

 _Axel, I want to see you._

 _I really want to be with you!_

 _I can't stand looking at you without you noticing me._

 _I thought we understood each other. Why won't you ever talk to me?_

Axel blocked all the new addresses and weeded out his inbox full of spam. The last thing he wanted was a stalker and even more so to go to the police. He also didn't want Roxas to find out about them. Luckily for him, the blonde was rather busy so it left very little time for him to even glance at the computer, let alone get into an in depth conversation with Axel. They still shared dates together but they were short, usually no more than dinner or an ice cream run to exchange small talk.

He looked up as he heard a knock on his door and the blonde he had pictured in his mind wandered into the room. "Hiding?" Roxas pressed.

"More like hibernating," Axel joked. The blonde sat down on the red head's lap and rested his head on the taller man's shoulder.

"I hear you. Damn I want to sleep forever," Roxas muttered. Axel chuckled and wrapped his arms around the blonde's narrow waist. It didn't take long before he felt the blonde start to doze off, his muscles beginning to turn to Jell-O in his grasp. Axel nudged Roxas off and wandered over to his bed where they would be far more comfortable. Roxas sat between the gap of Axel's long legs and returned to his dozing position, his breathing becoming more subdued with each breath. Axel gave the blonde a gentle squeeze and closed his own eyes, resting his head against the wall.

"If this is what it feels like to get old, I'm putting in my resignation," Axel commented.

Roxas gave a soft snort and a smile spread over his lips. "Take me with you."

"Can't. Already promised my spare ticket to a cute blonde," Axel replied. Roxas elbowed the red head in to the stomach, both of them chuckling. "Where do we want to go?"

"Sleep."

"Forever? Geez, you make it sound like we're dead," Axel shot back.

"I feel like I'm already dead. Maybe I'm just a Walking Dead," Roxas remarked.

Axel shook his head in wonder. "That was awful."

"I know." Axel knew he dozed off when he woke to the sound of a knock on the door sometime later. He pried his head off of Roxas's, finding the blond hair sticking to his face a little, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Zexion walked into the room and peered down at the pair still groggily waking up.

"Are you two going to eat tonight? Demyx is thinking of ordering pizza," Zexion offered.

"Oh, fantastic. We don't have to cook," Axel said, his voice as groggy as his head. He nudged the blonde and Roxas gave the silver haired man a thumbs up before his hand dropped back to his lap, resuming his nap.

"You guys want to usual?" Zexion asked.

"Sure. I don't care at this point," Axel replied.

Zexion crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "Honestly, you two. You're both like a couple of preschoolers. It's Friday night. Show a little more liveliness." Roxas managed to twitch his arm before giving up while Axel groaned and flopped down sideways onto the mattress, dragging the blonde with him. Zexion rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath as he left the room, keeping his smile hidden in the shadows.

As they waited for their food, the duo continued to fade in and out of sleep on the red head's bed. At some point Axel felt Roxas twitch and it forced him to wake. He noticed the blonde rubbing the sleep from his eyes before attempting to settle back down. Axel ran his fingers through his boyfriend's fluffy locks, happy to find him relaxing under the touch.

"Bad dream?" Axel asked. Roxas sighed, pressing his face into the comforter. "Tell me about it. You'll feel a lot better once you do."

"It was stupid, really," Roxas protested. He found Axel's touch distracting and soon it became harder to even concentrate on what his dream was actually about. "I was hang gliding with Pence. We were flying around the Island from Wii Sports Resort." He could tell Axel smirked at that last comment. "As we flew around, I saw you on top of the volcano. When I flew over to you, a gust of wind knocked you off. I jumped in after you but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get close to you. You kept drifting further and further away."

"I hope I clutched the "One Ring" to my chest as I gallantly fell into the lava," Axel mused. Roxas found he couldn't get irritated by the red head's comment, despite how much he wanted to. He just couldn't get mad at Axel anymore. He felt the man's lanky arms give his waist a squeeze. "Don't worry, Rox. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for you as long as you need me." Roxas rolled over onto his other side so he could pressed their lips together, fingers tangled in each other's hair.

"Ooooh, I didn't know we were getting extra sauce tonight." The pair jumped and Roxas slipped off of the bed, crashing to the floor with a thump. Demyx and Zexion were grinning in the doorway as they spied on their roommates from across the hall.

"Do you guys have to ruin everything?" Axel pressed.

"What's life without a bit of torture?" Demyx said with a wink. "Pizza's here. Come get it while it's still hot." Axel sat up and scooted off the bed, helping Roxas to his feet. They ventured downstairs to find the rest of the crew already eating, although they looked about as zombied as Axel and Roxas were before their nap.

After a few slices and a couple cups of soda, everyone started to get a second wind of energy. They began to relax more and Sora started up a group conversation. "So, holiday plans everyone?" the brunette asked.

"A trip would be fun," Axel noted.

"I'm still trying to pay off my trip to Japan," Roxas reminded.

"I told you I had the costs covered," Axel shot back.

"But I want to pay it back!" Roxas protested.

"It was an early Christmas gift," Axel rebutted.

"Anyway," Sora interrupted before the pair could go any further. "Riku and I will be headed home over the break. What about you, Marly?"

"I'll be visiting Tifa," Marluxia said, sipping his soda.

"Zexy and I are going house hunting," Demyx declared. "So we'll both be out of state for the break. Sorry guys."

"I have a court hearing," Seifer muttered into his cup.

"Well, then. I guess that leaves me and the blonde," Axel teased. "I'm okay with that."

"Can't you invite your siblings out here?" Sora asked, grabbing one of the few remaining slices of pizza. No one could figure out where he put all the food he ate. He was worse than Riku.

"My family goes on a trip every winter break," Roxas brought up. "I'm sure this year will be no different."

"Bummer. If you want, you could come out and hang with Riku, Kairi and I at the beach," Sora offered. Roxas found the draw of spending all day at the beach for two weeks heavenly, although he felt it wouldn't be fair for the trio of friends. He was sure they wouldn't mind Axel coming with as well but having any alone time would be almost impossible.

"Nah. I think I'm just going to hang back and stare at the ceiling. Relax a bit, you know?" Roxas mentioned. Zexion and Demyx exchanged snickers before Marluxia whacked them both over the back of the head.

"Don't have too much fun," Riku noted, catching on quick. Sora looked between the married couple and his best friend, feeling lost to the secret meaning behind Roxas's statement.

XxXxX

The semester came to a climatic end with another round of finals. Once everyone was done, they went out for drinks and bowling before calling it a night. For the first night in months, they all slept fairly sound. Throughout the morning, the townhouse slowly began to empty out as people left to go on their winter vacations elsewhere. By noon, the place was deserted, sans Axel and Roxas. The blonde found himself in the kitchen after eating lunch by himself, as Axel had eaten earlier so he could help Marluxia finish packing, and sat in the empty silence. Just like before, he hated how quiet it was.

"Just me and Axel for eighteen days," he said to himself to cut through the quiet. "Wonder what we'll get ourselves into." A sly grin spread over his face and he tip-toed upstairs to where Axel was in his room. He found the red head going through his old class materials, sorting which to keep and which to toss. Roxas crept over and wrapped his arms around the man's waist, hands sliding up his chest underneath his shirt.

"Whoa! Cold hands," Axel protested.

Roxas chuckled. "Liar."

"Oh?" Axel turned and planted a kiss on the blonde's lips. "How, pray tell, would you know?"

"Because I have the hottest guy in the world in their grasp. There's no way they'd be cold," Roxas shot back.

"Ooh, buttering me up already. Don't I get a break from your sexiness?" Axel asked.

"You had your break all semester. Now you're mine," Roxas corrected.

Axel smirked. "Pervert." Their lips connected again, Axel's hands sliding up Roxas's back beneath his shirt. "Admit it. You're just sassy because you're sex deprived."

"So what if I am?" Roxas protested.

"What if I made you a wager?" Axel offered.

Roxas pursed his lips, sending an unsure look towards his boyfriend. "What sort of wager?" He shivered as Axel gently scraped his nails down his back. The red head's lips brushed over his earlobe, breath tickling his skin.

"If you can keep your hands to yourself for one week, I'll buy you as much sea salt as you want. And…" Roxas released a small moan as Axel nibbled on his lobe with the points of his teeth. "You get the rest of the winter break to use me as you please."

"T-that's too easy," Roxas stammered, finding it hard to concentrate as Axel's tongue found its way to his neck and began to make slow, sensual licks along his jawline. The red head hummed, arching his eyebrows as he shot the blonde a skeptical look. "I've done it before…during this fall…"

"But you will no longer have the distractions of school to keep you busy. Now all your thoughts will be on me," Axel warned. Roxas realized he had no hope of disapproving that claim. His thoughts would be entirely on Axel for the next two weeks, although he didn't want to give the red head the satisfaction of being right. With as much willpower as he could muster, he pushed the red head away from himself, which was about as strong as a watered down soda. He checked the time on his phone and showed the screen to Axel.

"One o' clock. I have exactly one week," Roxas stated.

"That's right. One week without handholding, kissing, cuddling, sleeping together." A devious grin spread over Axel's lips. "Sex."

"You're only hurting yourself," Roxas reminded. "When this is over, you're going to go broke from all the ice cream I plan on ordering."

Axel chuckled. "I have far more willpower than you do, blondie. You won't stand a chance," he taunted.

"You'll be eating those words when you come begging to me to end it early," Roxas countered. The pair exchanged a heated stare before agreeing to the terms.

The week started off well. Roxas felt good through the first two days. They spent time talking, watching movies, playing video games, and talking walks outside through the park. It felt like they were close friends again from the year before. Then halfway through day three Roxas started to feel lonely. It started with a small ache each time he looked at Axel that grew to a deep pitted hollowness by day four. His body yearned for some sort of touch from the red head, yet the closest he got to that was when Axel accidentally sneezed on his arm when they were driving out to get some lunch. Not that Roxas was desperately enough to count that as an indirect touch. Maybe.

Day five Roxas spent a lot of time on Skype talking with Pence as they did some catching up from the semester. It kept his mind preoccupied over the seven hours they talked and Roxas was feeling good by the time he went to bed. Day six he woke to find Axel shirtless in the kitchen as he made breakfast and he had to force himself to walk back upstairs so he didn't jump the red head there and then. He spent the day holed up in his room checking the clock whenever he could. Time just wouldn't move fast enough! He barely slept that night, tossing and turning as he craved the red head sleeping above him. He managed to pass out sometime late in the early hours and woke up at seven with a headache. Six hours and then he was free.

He went into town for no reason other than to get out of the house and kill time. It was one of the longest mornings of his life, particularly since he had nothing to buy. When he returned home, he didn't have the appetite for lunch and he went in search of the red head. He found Axel upstairs reading at his desk so he plopped himself down on the elder's bed to wait for the rest of the time to pass. As he sat, he noticed how rigid Axel was sitting in his seat and, after about five minutes without the red head turning a page, Roxas started to wonder if he was even reading. The man's green eyes were practically glaring holes through the book and he looked like he was ready to snap at someone.

Roxas checked the time on his phone. 12:58. "Looks like I'm going to win," Roxas said, glancing up at the red head. Axel's lips thinned out to a tight line, his fingers tightening their grip on the book. Roxas watched the time flick to 12:59 and he began counting in his head. Each second felt like an eternity. Fifty three. Fifty four. Fifty five. Axel snapped his book shut and slammed it down on the desk. Fifty eight. Fifty nine. An alarm went off on Roxas's phone to signal his trial was over but he didn't get a chance to turn it off as Axel tackled him down on the bed, their lips locked together. Hands ran up and down each other as they filled themselves with each other's contact. Tongues tangled together and nails clawed at clothing.

"World's longest minute," Axel panted.

"Shut up and fuck me!" Roxas growled, pulling their lips together once more. They ripped their clothes from each other and didn't take any time to prep. Roxas reveled at the pain tearing up his spine as Axel thrust into him but at that moment it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. Their movements were fast and erratic, lips parting only for seconds at a time to gulp down lung-fulls of air. Roxas's hips arched as he felt Axel's hand wrap around his erection, his mind screaming for a climax. A loud gasp ripped through his throat as he threw his head back and shouted Axel's name, his body locking up from the waves of pleasure. A burst of heat spread through him and he collapsed onto the sheets panting. He looked up at Axel hovering over him on hands and knees, sweat pouring down each of their faces.

"Never do that again," Roxas panted.

"I have no plans to," Axel agreed, his voice hoarse from his harsh breathing. Roxas latched onto Axel again and their reprieve ended. They somehow managed to end up in Roxas's bed through various means of Roxas getting carried, rolling, and Axel accidentally tripping down the stairs while carrying said blonde. Thankfully they weren't hurt in the process and it did little to deter them from their progress. Roxas stared up at the ceiling feeling hot, sticky but fulfilled. Axel's arm was hooked around his shoulders, holding the blonde tightly against his side. Roxas checked the time on his phone to find it was a little past quarter after three.

"That late already," he mused.

"Amazing, huh?" Axel commented. They would have been back at their previous engagements, however Axel had a very painful cramp in his leg that made them realize they should probably take a break. So it left them snuggled together on Roxas's bed, his sheets a mess beneath them. "First time in your bed. Have to say I rather enjoyed it."

"I like your bed better," Roxas stated. "The sheets smell better."

"See and I was thinking the same thing but with your bed. I guess we're just too kinky," Axel said with a chuckle. He reached up and played with a corner of one of Roxas's posters that had gotten bent in his move to the townhouse. "I could honestly spend forever like this."

"I couldn't," Roxas countered. Axel shot him a horrified look. "You're not getting out of buying me ice cream." Axel blinked, then burst out laughing. He pulled Roxas close to and planted a kiss on the top of his head.

"I love you," Axel said. He was happy when a light blush dusted over the blonde's face.

"I love you too." They pressed their lips together and tangled their fingers in each other's hair. Roxas started to tangle their legs together and hit Axel's sore muscle, the red head wincing at the touch. "Oops, sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It just reminds me how real this all is," Axel replied. He brushed aside some of the hair sticking to the blonde's face and tucked it behind his ear. "You make my world real."

A warm smile broke out on Roxas's lips. "Thanks. You make my world real too." He closed his eyes as Axel pressed a kiss to his forehead, absorbing the gentle warmth spreading through his body. "I just can't wait for next year when we get to room together. Then it won't matter whose bed we sleep in."

"You have a point there, but I think the mountains of homework may keep us apart more than we would like," Axel reminded. "Plus we might not even be living here."

"I keep forgetting about that," Roxas admitted. Something popped into the forefront of his mind and a grin spread over his features. "Say, you'll never guess what I saw during finals week."

"What?" Axel pressed, eyes gleaming like a cat.

"So I went to talk to Sora about O-chem, since we had the same class," Roxas stated. "His door was cracked so I didn't knock and walked in hoping he could help me with one of the review questions." The blonde paused to snicker to himself. "Man, I felt so bad. Poor Sora was pinned against the wall with Riku planting a kiss on his lips."

"Get out!" Axel exclaimed. "I thought they had dropped that?"

"I did too! Sora must have been taken off guard because he was redder than his gym shorts and he looked really uncomfortable. When Riku saw me, he tried stammering out something while Sora just slumped down the wall staring at the floor. I tried asking him about it a few times but every time he'll get this weird look on his face and go quiet before changing the subject," Roxas explained.

"He's probably confused. Riku obvious really cares about him and Sora's never seen that side of him before. Plus he's still probably trying to forget his crush on Kairi to keep their friendship intact." Axel ran a hand through his damp spikes, humming under his breath. "I guess we'll see what happens when they get back in January."

Roxas hummed in agreement. "I guess so. Speaking of which, you owe me some ice cream."

Axel gawked at the blonde. "What? We go from Sora and Riku making out to ice cream?"

"Yeah," Roxas shot back.

"Good lord, you and your sugar addiction. I swear the only thing that compares to me is your ridiculous love for ice cream."

"What? I'd totally pick you over ice cream," Roxas rebutted.

"How about an entire pool?" Axel challenged. Roxas shook his head. "An ocean?" The blonde bit down on his lip piercing.

"Which ocean?" he asked.

"Roxas!"

"I'm kidding!" Roxas shoved the read head and burst out laughing, slipping out of bed to find some clothes for after his shower. "Besides, we both know they're far better eaten together."

Axel arched an eyebrow. "When did we ever…" He blinked, remembering back to when he first took Roxas out for ice cream and realized the blonde was right. The tips of his ears tinged pink as the long forgotten taste resurfaced on his tongue. He got to his feet and headed for the door. "We're going to need to remedy this immediately," he declared. He paused in the doorway, shooting the blonde a stern look. "Don't keep me waiting."

"Sir, this is ice cream we're talking about. You'd better get your ass moving or I'll be there before you get your pants on," Roxas shot back, following the red head out of the room.

"Care to make a wager on that?" Axel challenged. Roxas shoved the red head and slipped into his bathroom, the taste of sea salt already tantalizing his taste buds.


	17. 17-The Sun Sets Red

**A/N-OMIGERD! ONLY ONE LEFT! Wow, I knew I would get this far but dang! I never thought it would come so soon. It seems like it was just a few weeks ago when I started posting (which was back in May….) First part of this chapter goes to Coldplay's "Christmas Lights". Mmmmm, such music. So good! X) Anywho, thank you so much for reading, favoriting, and reviewing so far! I totally love all you guys. :) Just a year ago this entire Re-Master was just a little idea in my head. Now it's almost completely over. (Das feelz!) Okay. *slaps self on the face*. Let's go! Read and enjoy my beautiful people. ^^ (OH, and we got some lemon between the 1st and 2nd section break if you're looking for a skip. This is the last of the lemon scenes!)**

Roxas woke up on Christmas morning in Axel's bed snuggled up in a cocoon of sheets. The day before the clouds had placed a light dusting over snow over the campus, making anyone left behind feel like they were in a snow globe. The blonde snuggled down deeper into his nest and inhaled the red head's scent. The distinctive spicy scent flooding his nostrils and Roxas felt at peace. The sheets were warm from where all his trapped body heat circulated around inside. They were also soft from being washed just the day before. All that was missing was the red head himself, who Roxas assumed had left to go make breakfast downstairs. A part of him wished Demyx and Zexion were around to make food like they had last year, although his stomach screamed in despair just thinking about how much he forced into it the holiday prior. He decided a simple breakfast would be enough for him. After all, he would be sharing it on a quiet morning with his favorite person.

Or at least he thought so until the bedroom door slammed open and a heavy weight landed on top of him. Roxas gagged as he was elbowed in the stomach and waved his soothing morning goodbye. "What the fuck, Axel!" he growled, sitting up. His rage quickly melted away two pairs of bright blue eyes stared back at him.

"Roxas!" The eldest blonde was flattened against the mattress as Ven and Naminé tackled him into their hugs. His eyes shot between the pair in confusion until he caught movement in the doorway. Axel leaned against the frame with a grin on his face.

"Axel, help me!" Roxas begged, reaching out for the red head.

The senior chuckled. "Can't handle your own siblings?" Axel taunted.

"Axel invited us over for Christmas!" Ven exclaimed.

"We're going on a trip together!" Naminé added.

"We're going skiing!" the pair shouted together.

Roxas frowned. "Skiing? When did you have time to plan a ski trip? Hell, when did you call my family?!" he asking, throwing a glare at the red head in the doorway. "Why aren't you guys on vacation somewhere else?"

"Ugh, too many questions!" Ven declared before climbing off his brother. Naminé followed suit and helped her elder brother sit up.

"You'll have to hurry. Dad's waiting in the car…" the girl started.

"Wait, we're leaving now?!" Roxas exclaimed, his voice squeaking. "B-but I'm not even packed!"

"Already in the van," Axel declared. "Clothes are waiting for you in the bathroom." Roxas's jaw dropped and he had to force it shut again when his siblings burst into giggles. He clamored out of bed and ushered his siblings out of the room before slipping into the bathroom. Warm, comfy clothes were sitting on the counter waiting for him next to his tagged dog collar and Roxas couldn't help but smile at the effort Axel had put into the trip.

After getting ready and a quick breakfast, he piled into the van in the back seat with Axel. Auron flashed his eldest son a warm smile upon greeting and Roxas was introduced to Wakka, a friend of Naminé's from school. He was a senior and Roxas offered his thanks for helping to support his sister the year prior, to which Wakka and Naminé were left quietly blushing afterwards.

"So where are we going?" Roxas asked as they pulled off campus and headed down the highway. "And what happened to the annual family trip?"

"You'll see when we get there," Auron stated. Ven was playing his 3DS in the front seat next to his father, tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as he played.

"We decided to cancel our trip this year," Naminé explained. "We were originally just going to go to a hotel with a water park but…after last year's…" She paused to find the right word.

"Disaster," Ven chimed in.

"I was thinking more catastrophe but we thought this would be for the best. Although mom gave Ven and I this huge rant on how ungrateful we were that she took the time to plan these events," Naminé commented.

"What happened?" Roxas dared to ask, leaning up against the back of the middle seat Naminé and Wakka shared. "I would have thought mom would have been fine without me to scream at."

"Oh, she had plenty to scream at," Ven stated. "And by plenty I mean everything. Dad had to escort her back to the hotel just so we wouldn't get kicked out of the park. I don't think the Universal staff appreciated getting called…"

"Ven, you don't need to repeat that sort of language," Auron interrupted.

"Sorry, dad," Ven apologized.

"So you just left mom at home?" Roxas asked.

"Pretty much," Naminé stated. "Dad was the one who coordinated with Axel on this, since he works with Axel's dad, and they did everything without mom ever finding out. She doesn't even know we're going skiing. We just packed up last night and left saying we were going over to our aunt's house due to some "family issues" going on dad's side of the family. Mom wasn't too happy about the short notice but I think she'll be happy having the house quiet to herself for a few days."

Roxas turned his leery eye to the red head sitting next to him. Axel held up his hands, silently saying 'guilty', and shot the blonde a grin. "Thanks," Roxas mouthed so the others wouldn't hear. Axel shot his boyfriend a wink and a smile bloomed on the blonde's face. Roxas leaned back into his seat and leaned in against Axel's side as the elder put an arm around his shoulders. While it wasn't what he asked for Christmas, it was probably the most perfect gift Roxas could ever get.

They drove for several hours in the opposite direction of the coast to a ski resort in the next state. As they drew closer, the large rise of hills and mountains gave way for a spectacular view even from the ground level. Tiny dots swerved down the slopes on skis and snowboards in a myriad of colorful jackets. They checked into the expansive hotel and took their bags up to their room. Naminé and Wakka were sharing a room with Auron while Ven got to stay with Axel and his brother. They piled on their heavy, outdoor clothing and headed back downstairs to hit the slopes. While everyone else opted for skis, Roxas went for a snowboard as he used to go snowboarding on weekends in middle school with Cloud and Leon. The memory made his heart twinge but he found it wasn't as painful as he initially thought it would be.

It was a chilly and quiet ride up to the top of the slope with a welcoming sight of a long ride down before them. Auron stuck with Ven on the easier hills while Axel, Naminé, Roxas and Wakka went to the moderate difficulty slopes. As Roxas watched his sister fly down the hill, he couldn't help but smile as he pulled his goggles over his eyes. Next to him, Axel was adjusting the straps on his ski poles.

"It seems like you've done this before," Roxas noted.

"Xion," Axel replied. "She used to take me when I was in late middle school and early high school on the weekends to that man-made slope set out of town."

"The fuck? You went there too?!" Roxas exclaimed.

Axel recoiled. "You went skiing there?" he gaped.

"Every fricking weekend in middle school," Roxas shot back. "Holy shit, how many times did we pass by each other and not even know it?"

"Probably more than we think," Axel replied. He got his straps to where he wanted them and pulled his heavy sunglasses over his eyes. "So are we racing this or just taking it for a ride?"

"Oh, we're racing," Roxas agreed. "How does infinite pizza sound?"

"Hell no! I'll go broke," Axel rebutted.

"Fine then. Last one down's on the bottom the rest of break." Axel's jaw dropped as Roxas pushed off laughing like an evil villain before either could say go. A grin plastered over his face and he shoved off, flying down the hill after the blonde. Needless to say, he left Roxas eating his own words when they reached the bottom.

They spent the afternoon tearing up the slopes with run after run. The only time they took a break was for a late lunch of steaming bowls of stew with chunks of bread to dip in the meaty broth. By the time they decided to stop around seven, their cheeks were pink from the cold wind blasting against their faces all afternoon. Auron bought them all dinner to which they ate their fill of foods normally out of their budget. It left them all stuffed to the brim with warm nourishment to dispel the chill that had settled into their bones. Upon returning to their rooms, they all settled down to relax but found themselves falling asleep within minutes, forcing them to retire early.

The next morning they rose to a continental breakfast and an assortment of sore muscles some didn't know existed before. After a good stretch and some walking, they headed back to the slopes, although with a much tamer pace than the day before. By the afternoon, Auron took Naminé, Ven and Wakka into town to go shopping while Roxas and Axel retired to the hotel's hot tub to relieve the tension in their bodies. After their soak, they snuggled up on their bed together with mugs of hot chocolate, simply enjoying the silence and each other's presence.

Roxas set down his empty mug on the side table and cuddled in closer to Axel's side, closing his eyes as he lay his head on the elder man's shoulder. "It doesn't feel like Christmas," Roxas murmured.

"Well, Christmas was yesterday," Axel reminded, sipping the dregs of his cocoa. "But I know what you mean. Usually Christmas is loud and bright filled with love and chaos. Now it's all just quiet. I sort of like it."

"Me too. It reminds me of…" Roxas paused for a moment, teeth nibbling on his piercing. Axel waited for Roxas to continue on his own knowing the blonde couldn't be rushed. "That first Christmas after…the shooting," Roxas continued. "I remember sneaking out to the roof of the shed Christmas night. It was really cold but I didn't care. I wanted to look up at the sky. I guess I was sort of hoping Aerith, Cloud and Leon were up there sending their light down to me. It started snowing and I could tell I was starting to get sick from staying out so long. I was lost in a daze so time sort of slipped by me. I heard the snow crunch and Naminé plopped herself down next to me on the roof and pulled Ven up behind her. I guess she saw me from her window while she was up late sketching. They sat on either side of me but stayed quiet. We just sat there listening to the snow fall on the world. Ven handed me a really poorly wrapped present at some point and I managed to get it unwrapped, despite my numb fingers."

"What was inside?" Axel asked. Roxas reached over and tapped the collar hanging around Axel's neck. "This?" The blonde nodded. Axel stared in disbelief, a whirlwind of emotions rolling through him. He reached over and set his mug down next to the blonde's before pulling the sophomore into a tight embrace. His heart ached as he realized how much the collar he now wore meant to Roxas. "Rox, you give up far too much for me," he whispered.

"Because you're worth it," Roxas replied, wrapping his arms around the red head. His chest tightened as he felt warm water drip onto his cheeks and roll down off of his jaw. Roxas squeezed Axel tighter. "Please don't cry."

"I…I can't…" Axel mumbled. He sniffed and buried his face into the blonde's damp spikes. "God, I feel like a hormonal teenager all over again!" Roxas put his hands on Axel's cheeks and pulled back enough so they could look each other in the eye. A warm smile melted onto his lips, his thumbs wiping away the tears still trickling out of the elder man's eyes.

"You're perfect just the say you are," Roxas said. Axel sniffled and managed to get a corner of his mouth to curl upwards. "There's my blushing beauty." Roxas placed a kiss on Axel's forehead before kissing the corners of his eyes and finally pulling their lips together into a warm, chocolate filled exchange. He fell back against the pillows, allowing Axel's hands to roam free on his body as he tangled his fingers into the nest of scarlet locks. Roxas heard the click of the door but couldn't get his body to stop in time before his brother barged in.

"Whoa! P. D. A!" Ven cried, shielding his eyes. Axel released Roxas's lips and gave the blonde beneath him a smirk. Roxas chuckled and slipped out from beneath his boyfriend's arms.

"What? Not a fan of kisses?" Roxas asked.

The younger blonde shot his brother a death glare. "Don't you dare," Ven warned. Roxas tackled his brother and started peppering kisses all over the younger blonde's face. "Ew! EW! Roxas, you're slobbering on me! Gross!" Axel chuckled and rubbed the moisture from his face, sitting on the side of the bed as he watched Roxas smother his brother. Ven managed to press his hand to his brother's face and pushed Roxas's head away. "You're so immature!"

"Me? Look at you," Roxas countered. He tickled Ven's sides and the boy burst into laughter, tears welling up in his eyes as he squirmed.

"Hahaha! Axel! Help me!" Ven cried. The red head stood and scooped the elder blonde up in his arms, allowing Ven to breath. "Whoo, thanks. So are you guys dating or something? You're always super snuggly whenever you're together."

"Yup. Roxy here's my beautiful blushing bride to be," Axel said, nuzzling his nose against man in his arms. Roxas rolled his eyes.

"Didn't mom…didn't she say that was a bad thing?" Ven asked in a hushed voice. Roxas exhaled sharply and slipped out of Axel's arms, kneeling down next to his brother. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Ven, you can like whoever you want. If it's a guy, then it's a guy. If it's a girl, then you like girls. Some people, like me, like both of them. Don't try to prevent yourself from being yourself. You'll only make yourself miserable," Roxas explained. "I'd understand if you think it's weird or gross, but this is what my heart wants."

"Well…" Ven mused. "You are a lot nicer with Axel around. And you're more fun. And less of a hard ass."

"Ven!" Roxas protested.

"Just saying," the younger brother said matter-of-factly. "If you keep each other out of trouble, then I guess it's okay by me. Dad sure smiles a lot when he sees you two together."

Roxas sat back on his heels, his face blank. "He does?"

"Yeah. He's always chuckling whenever you two are bickering. I think you guys get the official "dad seal of approval". Definitely not mom's, though," Ven remarked. "Although she doesn't approve of a lot of things. Like marshmallows. How can you not like marshmallows?!" Ven demanded.

"She never let you guys have marshmallows?" Axel questioned.

"She thought we'd get the house sticky," Roxas replied with a frown. "I don't think she even let us buy Rice Krispy bars. I usually had to swipe them from Aerith's mom whenever she made them."

"Oh yeah! You hid them in your gym bag and that one time they got all over it after melting. You scrubbed that thing for hours so mom didn't find out," Ven recalled. He crossed his legs and plopped his hands in his lap. "Hey, Roxas. Is the collar Axel's wearing the one Nam and I got you?" The elder brother nodded with a grin. "But you loved that thing! How did he managed to barter it off of you?"

"I gave it to him," Roxas corrected.

"What?!" Ven turned to Axel. "You had better not get a scratch on that thing because Roxas loves it to Hell and back," he threatened.

"I have full intentions on keeping safer than the Crown Jewels," Axel promised, faking a salute.

"I expect you to protect my brother in the same fashion," Ven lectured, putting his hands on his hips. "He's a rather stick in the mud and he'll whine your ear off, but as the heir to the throne of…our house…he needs to be kept in pristine condition. Any harm to him will be placed upon your head!"

"I will protect him with honor," Axel said with a sweeping boy.

Roxas snorted and rolled his eyes. "You two are ridiculous." The trio burst out laughing until their sides began cramping up with stitches.

XxXxX

It was late into the evening when Roxas flopped back on his bed with a content smile. The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom where steam began to billow out from the crack under the door. Roxas closed his eyes and let his happy thoughts warm his soul. Although it was made all the better as a pair of warm lips pressed against his own, tasting of cheesecake. Roxas hummed and wrapped his arms around Axel's neck, drawing him in closer.

"Mmm, Axel…" Roxas moaned. "My brother's in the shower."

"So he is," Axel replied, working his lips down onto the blonde's exposed neck. His normal dog collar was sitting on the bathroom counter where he had taken it off before Ven stole the shower from him. Not that Roxas minded now that he had Axel alone to himself for the next ten to fifteen minutes. He slid his hands down Axel's sweater until it reached the hem where it began to work their way up again beneath the fabric. Roxas leaned into the man's touch as Axel nibbled on a nerve in his neck. His clothes were becoming far too warm for the situation and the increasing tightening of his pants was getting annoying.

"Ax…" Roxas panted. "He's…we can't…"

"Hush," Axel purred in the blonde's ear, making him shiver. His long fingers ran up Roxas's chest, pushing up the fabric of his sweater in the process. His touch was electrifying and Roxas wanted nothing more than to rip off his clothes and devour the red head. But the sound of the shower in the background was a constant reminder he had to behave.

At least for the moment.

"God, Axel. Stop teasing me!" Roxas growled. "You're just making me want to fuck you."

"Says the man who lost the bet and is stuck on bottom the entire break," Axel jibbed. Roxas scowled and gave one of the red head's nipples a hard pinch. "Yeoch!"

"That's what you get for being a dick," Roxas stated. Axel smirked and one of his hands lashed out, giving the hard package beneath the blonde's jeans a squeeze. Roxas gasped and his head rolled back, his body screaming for more. He felt the button of his pants break free of the notch and the pressure against his hardening cock. Axel's fingers gave his length a slow and sultry stroke. Roxas bit down on his lip to keep himself from crying out as Axel's hand continued its ministrations, his mind short-circuiting like water being sprayed onto a mother board. His toes curled into the carpet and his arms wrapped around Axel's neck again, although it was a bit of a tangled mess for a moment as Roxas forgot his arms were still beneath Axel's sweater. The red head pulled his shirts over his head and tossed them aside before attacking the blonde once more, capturing his lips as Roxas's body screamed with pleasure.

Roxas bit down hard on his lip as he reached his climax and tasted blood leaking into his mouth. As his body relaxed, he felt Axel lick at the wound before their tongues twirled together. Axel removed his hand from Roxas's pants and sat up, licking each digit clean with sweeps of his tongue.

"You're an ass," Roxas grumbled, too lost in euphoria to come up with a harsher insult. The sound of the water shut off and Roxas released a long exhale. Then he sat up and tried not to look like he was fresh out of sex. He pulled off his sweater and shirt before moving over to the bathroom, as his change of clothes was already inside. Roxas yelped as he was thrown over Axel's shoulder and blushed heavily as the man patted him on the ass. When the door opened, Ven frowned at the sight of his brother.

"Um…" Ven started. "Shower's open…"

"Thanks. We'll be out later," Axel said. The boy stepped aside and watched as his brother was carried inside the bathroom. Ven rolled his eyes as the door shut and ventured over to his suitcase to deposit his dirty clothes. Then he grabbed a room key and left the vicinity to give the pair some privacy.

"Is he gone?" Roxas asked. Axel poked his head outside the door and checked.

"Yup." He shut the barrier and locked it, turning back to the blonde stripping himself from his pants and soiled undergarments. Roxas stopped as he felt Axel's long arms wrap around him, the elder pressing a kiss to his neck. "You smell so good when you're sweaty."

"Don't be weird," Roxas replied, pretending there wasn't a blush dusting his cheeks.

Axel chuckled. "I don't think that's physically possible." He gave the blonde's earlobe a lick, his breath giving the younger man the chills. "Unless you make me."

"No, but I can shut you up for awhile," Roxas countered. Before Axel had a chance to protest, his lips were captured by the blonde's and soon that last thing on their minds was how much hot water they were wasting.

XxXxX

Ven woke with a loud yawn and stretched out on his bed. He shifted his head to look over at the pair across from him, finding Roxas tangled up in Axel's arms while the blonde himself pressed his face into the mattress. Ven couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the sight. ' _Some things never change,'_ he mused.

The group gathered for a late morning breakfast before returning to their rooms to pack. Then they piled into the van and trekked the long ride back to campus. It was rather quiet, as everyone was exhausted and sore from so much time tearing up the slopes, but it was hard not to notice the little smiles playing with the corners of people's lips. When they returned to campus, Roxas offered his family to spend the night, which they accepted as his dad didn't feel like another seven hours staring at the road. They made waffles for supper before gathering on the basement couch to watch a movie, although half of them were asleep before the action even started. Axel snuck a picture of Roxas fast asleep with one sibling in each arm snoozing against his shoulders. He didn't protest when Auron asked him to text him a copy.

When Roxas's family had to say goodbye the next morning, it was filled with lots of hugs and promises to stay in touch. Roxas leaned against Axel's side as the pair waved at the van driving off. Then they slipped back inside and sat down at the kitchen counter to finish their morning coffee.

"Do I want to ask how you knew my work schedule?" Roxas asked, swirling his coffee around in his mug.

"Trade secret," Axel replied, taking a sip from his.

Roxas drained his mug and set it on the counter. "Well, now what?"

"We could…have sex I guess?" Axel brought up.

"Nah. Have to wait for the coffee to set in first," Roxas stated. Axel would normally have been surprised Roxas shot down morning sex but he was exhausted too, so instead he hummed into his mug and closed his eyes. "When is everyone coming back?"

"Next week. No idea when Seifer's getting back, though," Axel brought up.

"Oh, right. Wonder how his court stuff went." Roxas folded his arms upon the counter and rested his chin inside of his makeshift nest.

"Who knows?" Axel mused. He took another long drag from his mug and finished it off, setting it down next to the blonde's. "You know, the club might be open for New Year's."

"We could do that. Like a New Year's party or something."

Axel paused, opening his eyes and rubbing his chin with his fingers. His facial whiskers scratched with the movement, reminding Roxas of fine sandpaper. "Speaking of parties, we never did get to throw Demyx and Zexion a bachelor's party."

"I guess not. We're you planning one?" Roxas asked, shifting his gaze to the red head.

"Marluxia and I had some vague ideas in the works for whenever they popped the question. I guess they just got to the end before all the planning in the middle could get done."

"Maybe we should throw them a belated party. We can consider it in combination with the wedding reception," Roxas remarked. The pair didn't look up as they heard keys in the lock and the door slammed open with a pissed off Seifer close behind. He did a double take at the pair slumped over the counter, dropping his bags on the floor before shutting the door behind him. "Hey," Roxas greeted half-heartedly. Axel merely gave a pathetic excuse of a wave. "How'd it go?"

Seifer let out a huff. "Like shit," he replied. "But they allowed me to go through with presenting my case for guardianship. Now it'll be just a fuck storm of court hearings and paperwork before anything gets done."

"Well, congrats on a step in the right direction," Roxas stated. He picked up his mug and checked the contents, frowning as he remembered he had already finished his beverage. "You want coffee?"

"Sure. Throw in a shot of Kahlua for me," Seifer said before grabbing his bags and carrying them upstairs. Roxas glanced at Axel and the red head shrugged as if to say 'could have been worse'. Roxas couldn't agree more.

XxXxX

The week passed and soon it became December 30th, dropping a fresh new layer of snow over the campus. Axel and Roxas sat watching a movie in the basement while Seifer took a nap upstairs. His phone had barely stopped ringing since he got home and even Roxas was starting to get annoyed by it. He couldn't imagine what his roommate was going through. They were alerted Demyx and Zexion were back by a boisterous "We're home!" shouted from Demyx upstairs. Roxas snorted and Axel shook his head. They paused their movie and headed upstairs to shush the pair so they didn't wake the sleeping blonde upstairs.

"Did you end up finding anything?" Roxas asked as he helped Zexion unpack from his trip. Demyx had dumped all of his stuff in the room before complaining he was hungry to Axel, so the red head escorted him to the kitchen in order to keep him quiet.

"We did. We put a down payment on a house already," Zexion replied. He pulled out his phone and sifted through some photos before handing it over to Roxas. "It's a three bedroom, two bath, split level. It was far enough out of the city to make it quiet while close enough it won't be a long commute." Roxas flicked through the photos of the empty house and nodded at their choice. He handed the phone back and Zexion tucked it safely back into the pocket of his jeans. "I've been in communication with the middle school there and they offered me a position. Granted, I won't have my full teaching degree yet once I start but I've already adjusted my schedule to accommodate extra classes and I'll be taking full credits over the summer. I'll be finishing up the rest online as I do my student teaching in the fall and then maybe by the spring or next fall they'll hire me on as a full time English teacher."

"That's fantastic! Congrats," Roxas cheered, giving the senior a grin.

Zexion chuckled. "Thanks. Demyx has been working on setting up some a private music lesson schedule at this local music store. I'm not sure if it will go through or not, but Demyx is optimistic."

"What else is he hoping to do with his degree?" Roxas asked. He sorted through Demyx's dirty clothes for anything clean, finding a neatly folded sweatshirt at the bottom of the bag to set aside.

"Professional sound mixing. You know, for TV shows or video games?" Zexion listed.

"Ah. Definitely will need a resume builder to get there," Roxas agreed. "So would you two be interested in going to the club on New Year's Eve? They're throwing one of those special events for the holiday."

The silver haired man stood up straight and hummed with a light smile on his face. "Mmmm, that actually sounds nice. As long as I don't have to talk to another real estate agent who is trying to upscale a decrepit house," Zexion remarked.

"They showed you the bad stuff, huh?"

Zexion shuddered, holding the towel in his arms to his chest. "It was awful, Roxas! There was this one house filled with mice, termites, a squirrel's nest and this giant tacky rug covering up a six foot hole in the floor. I think I temporarily passed out after stepping through the door from the smell alone. Demyx had to drag me through the house in order to get me to move. Never again!" Zexion gave his towel another squeeze before placing it in his laundry basket. "I can't stand a dirty house, let alone one that's better on a condemned list."

"I don't blame you," Roxas agreed.

The next day, the group headed over to the club around nine. Roxas was glad Seifer came, even more so when he left his phone at home, since the senior could finally take a moment to relax. The spring semester hadn't even started yet and Seifer was already clenching his jaw twenty-four/seven. The club wasn't terribly busy, since it was winter break, but there was a sizable crowd from those who had stayed on campus for the break. Most of the occupants were comprised of people who didn't wish to go home to their families or foreign students who couldn't afford going home to their families. They found a small table off to the side and ordered a round of drinks to blow off some steam before hitting the dance floor.

It didn't take long for time to slip by them and the DJ was announcing the countdown over the speakers. As the clock hit zero, Roxas snuck a quick kiss onto Axel's lips and they shared smiles. "Happy New Year," Roxas whispered.

"A damn fine year so far," Axel replied in a low voice. Roxas chuckled. "You ready for step two?"

"Oh yeah. Let's get going," Roxas agreed. They headed back towards the table and Roxas reached for his head, stumbling as he walked. Axel caught him before he dropped to his knees.

"Whoa, is he okay?" Demyx asked, hurrying over.

"Yeah," Roxas muttered. "Just got dizzy."

"We should get you home," Zexion suggested. "Finals must have taken it harder on you than we thought."

"No, it's okay…" Roxas tried to protest.

"Maybe it's for the best," Axel interrupted. "Why don't I take him back and then come back in an hour to pick you guys and Seifer up?"

"Alright. Just be sure to get him some fluids when he gets home," Zexion stated. Axel nodded and supported Roxas as they headed out to his car. As they buckled themselves in, they tried to suppress their laughter until they got out onto the road. Then they burst into hysterics at how they managed to get by with their cheesy acting.

XxXxX

When Axel drove home for the second time that night, he did his best to keep a straight face. Zexion was clearly still concerned for the blonde's health as he kept fidgeting and Demyx kept trying to distract him until they got home. Axel started to feel bad they were both worried over someone and he hoped that what they had planned would cheer them up. He parked in his usual spot on the street and fished around his keyring for the key to unlock the door. However, the barrier opened before he could find it and Roxas shot everyone a grin.

"Hey guy!" he greeted.

"Roxas! Why aren't you in bed?" Zexion demanded.

"I'm feeling better, mom," Roxas retorted, earning a snicker from Demyx. "I hope you didn't mind I did some redecorating while you were away."

"Re…decorating?" Zexion murmured. He looked to Demyx but the dirty blonde merely shrugged. Roxas opened the door wide and let the small group enter. The counter was filled with cupcakes, sodas, bowls of candy and various bottles of spirits in an assortment of flavors. "What's this for?"

"You guys never had a bachelor party," Axel explained. The married pair was left speechless for once.

Seifer snorted and slapped the pair on the backs with a loud whack. "Lighten up, you two. We're having a party so don't be so anal about it." Zexion and Demyx exchanged looks again before their confusion started to wear off.

Drinks were mixed and passed around while cupcakes were devoured to fill the empty holes in their stomachs they created at the club. Soon the party migrated downstairs, in which the food came along with, where they spent a couple hours trying to play Smash Bros while intoxicated. Even Roxas was a little tipsy after having several, lightly spiked drinks. As long as he didn't taste the alcohol, he didn't mind as much but, much like Axel, he knew when to quit. Unlike the other three. Roxas found himself laughing more than once because of something Demyx, Zexion or Seifer said or did while they were drunk. He was glad to see Seifer enjoying himself for a change. The last time he'd seen the senior in such a good mood was the year prior when they ate Chinese takeout while playing the Brawl tournament.

Once they determined they were either too tired or too intoxicated to play further, they trudged back upstairs to return the food to the kitchen. Roxas picked up a cupcake and giggled to himself before grabbing Axel's shirt. He was aiming to hit the red head in the face but Axel managed to duck in time for Roxas to plant the frosting onto Seifer's. The room froze as the other four held their breaths, wondering what Seifer would do. The senior picked up a cupcake from the tray and planted it on Roxas's head, frosting and cake bits raining down on his shirt.

Demyx burst out laughing, calling Roxas a Smurf with the blue frosting changing his hair color. Roxas retaliated by chucking a cupcake at the dirty blonde, missing horribly and hitting Zexion in the chest. Soon the rest of the cupcakes were used as ammo for a full scale battle in the kitchen. Drinks were knocked over and the floor soon became slick with soda, liquor and frosting.

Roxas wasn't sure when they all passed out but when he woke up on the kitchen floor nestled on top of a spray of spilt M&M's, he had to wonder. He glanced around the kitchen, finding the other four still passed out cold. His head started to throb as it begged for a glass of water to hydrate itself with and Roxas picked himself off of the floor. He felt sticky and gross from the sugary syrup drying on his skin, determining any future bachelor parties would not involve cupcakes. Or at least ones with frosting. He glanced at the mess they would have to clean up once everyone woke and he already started dreading the idea. He filled up his glass of water and took a long sip. Roxas tip toed around the carnage on the floor over to the front door and sat down out on the front step. It was chilly but the sun offered a smidge of warmth.

He didn't look up as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye and Axel plopped down next to him. "Damn frosting won't get out of my ear," he grumbled.

Roxas chuckled. "Morning to you too," he greeted. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was going to ask you that exact question," Axel shot back.

"Mmmm. Thinking I guess. I want to graduate but at the same time I really don't want the year to end. I want things to stay like this forever," Roxas mused.

"It's called growing up," Axel replied. He chuckled as Roxas gave him a shove. "I know what you mean. But think of it this way. Just a few more months and then we get to start a whole new chapter in our lives. Three semesters left before we graduate."

"Four for me. Remember, I have summer classes," Roxas reminded.

"True, but then it'll just be you and me against the world, babe."

Roxas snorted. "Don't call me babe."

"Oh? And what do you prefer?" Axel planted a kiss on the blonde's lips, Roxas leaning into the touch. "Roxy?"

"Mmm, that's the one," Roxas murmured. Their lips met again, tasting of sugar and vanilla. Axel had been right. It was a damn fine year so far.

XxXxX

The new semester rolled in with another wave of hefty classes and mountains of homework. Marluxia, Seifer, Zexion and Demyx kept to themselves most of the time as the pressure of graduation started to loom over their shoulders. Roxas was overwhelmed with his decision to take another twenty credits while still trying to pay off his loan to Marluxia. He had managed to pay off about a quarter of the bill so far but with the extra work from classes, he had to spend less time working. Some days it felt like he would never pay off his tab, say nothing of the student loans he had stacking up.

Then there was the elephant in the room. Or at least in one room particular.

Ever since Sora and Riku returned from Christmas break they didn't talk to each other. To say it was strange was an understatement. Finally, Roxas couldn't stand it anymore and drove out to the ice cream parlor in search of Kairi. He found the red head reading at the counter like she normally did in the quieter hours of winter.

"Kairi!" Roxas hissed, slamming his hands on the counter. "I can't take this anymore! What went on with those two?"

Kairi sighed and set aside her book. "Believe me, it's been a nightmare. They were like that almost the entire break," she complained. "Riku accidentally let it slip he loved Sora and Sora's been trying to avoid him ever since."

"Well, Riku pinning Sora against the wall probably didn't help," Roxas remarked.

"What?!" Kairi exclaimed. Roxas retold what he saw before winter break and Kairi let out a huff. "Honestly. Those two can act like preschoolers sometimes. I'll have a talk with Riku and Sora individually. Maybe they'll be able to talk it out after they let off some steam. Ugh, this is worse than high school!" The pair chatted over ice cream for a bit longer before Roxas had to get back to his studies. It was nice being able to catch up as they didn't hang out very often.

Upon returning, Roxas dove headfirst into his schoolwork, yet it wasn't even two minutes after he started reviewing his notes when someone scrambled into his room and shut the door. Roxas turned in his seat to find Sora pressed up against the door like he was trying to keep out the zombie apocalypse.

"Um, you okay?" Roxas asked. Sora rushed over and took Roxas's hands in his own, plopping down on the bed.

"Roxas, you have to help me," Sora begged.

"What's wrong?" Roxas asked.

Sora glanced at the door and lowered his voice to a strained whisper. "I think I'm falling for Riku." Roxas frowned, which only seemed to make the brunette more frazzled. "I mean I'm not sure what to think anymore. I never thought I liked him like that but then he kissed me and my heart was just pounding out of my chest and every time I think about it I feel sick but not like physically sick more like 'oh god, that was kind of hot' sick and I don't know what to do and he keeps looking at me and I don't know what to say and…" Roxas slapped a hand over Sora's mouth to get him to stop rambling. It seemed to help the brunette calm down as his shoulders relaxed a little bit after he did so. "Sorry," Sora muttered. Roxas removed his hand from his friend's face, giving Sora's hands a squeeze.

"It's okay to be confused but you shouldn't be running away. If you need time to think, all you have to do is tell Riku and he'll give you some space. He's not a stalker," Roxas reminded.

"I know but I just don't want to hurt him. We've been friends forever," Sora stated.

"All the more reason why he won't want to do anything to hurt you," Roxas enforced. "You just have to stop being so weird about it. You're freaking everyone out, Kairi especially."

Sora's blue eyes widened, shimmering as tears started to well up in them. "Kairi's worried?" Roxas nodded. "Fuck. Sorry…I mean…fuck." Roxas wanted to yelp as Sora's grip crushed his hand in his grip. The brunette didn't look all that strong but Roxas had to remind himself over and over he was a lot stronger than he appeared. "What should I do?" Sora asked, looking deep into Roxas's own blue eyes.

"Take some time to think it over and just tell Riku how you feel. It's no different than it was last year with the three of you," Roxas said. "By the way, what did you do to get Riku to jump you like that?" He was surprised when the brunette's cheeks flushed a deep scarlet and shifted his gaze to the floor.

"I said his ass looked nice in his new pants," Sora muttered.

' _Sora, you're so dense sometimes it hurts,'_ Roxas mused to himself.

XxXxX

Axel growled as he deleted more creepy e-mails from his inbox. From what he could decipher from the cryptic messages, it had to be someone on campus as they claimed they loved seeing Axel so often. He guessed it was someone he had class with but as to who it was or why they were sending the e-mails, Axel couldn't figure out. He thought of sending a reply saying to cut it out but then he realized he would be giving the guy attention he was desperately trying to get from Axel.

"This is so stupid," he grumbled.

"What's stupid?" Axel nearly jumped onto the ceiling and slammed his laptop lid down onto one of his hands, pain flaring up to his wrist.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Roxas!" Axel exclaimed. "Don't do that!" The blonde just looked perplexed as he stood casually with his hands in his pockets behind the red head.

"Sorry?" Roxas apologized, unsure of what he did.

Axel exhaled slowly and tried to calm his nerves. "No, it's fine. Sorry I yelled. I was just so focused on what I was doing you just scared the shit out of me."

"Oh. Group project?" Roxas asked. Axel was wondering what the blonde was talking about when he realized Roxas had seen he had been in his e-mail.

"Uh, no. I'm trying to get a question answered from a professor but he keeps beating around the bush and he takes like ten years to reply," Axel lied.

"Those professors are the worst," Roxas remarked. "Say, have you seen Marluxia?"

"I think he's in the basement," Axel replied.

"Cool. Don't study too hard," Roxas said with a smirk. He gave Axel a small wave before heading out. Axel mentally kicked himself and tried not to focus on the increasing paranoia filling inside of him. Instead he shifted his focus on trying to curb the problem and started writing an e-mail to the IT department to get his e-mail address changed.

Meanwhile, Roxas ventured into the basement where Marluxia had temporarily set up shop as to not disturb Axel while he was studying. The pink haired man cleared off a seat as the blonde entered his domain and Roxas sat down in the space.

"How may I be of service today, Roxas?" Marluxia asked.

"You know how it's almost February?" Roxas asked. The senior chuckled, pulling out a strawberry Pocky and offered one to the blonde. Roxas accepted it and munched on the end.

"Out of ideas again?" Marluxia pressed.

"Sort of. It's different now, as we're in an actual serious relationship. I feel like it would be cheap if we just went on another date together or went out to eat," Roxas explained. "And when it comes to presents, I never know what to get him. Everything doesn't seem big enough. I mean we've been dating for over a year now."

"True. What if you did something big and unexpected?" Marluxia offered.

"Axel already pulled a vacation on me. What's left for me to do?" Roxas asked.

The pink haired man leaned back in his seat, pocky sticking out of the corner of his mouth as his expression stiffened. "How serious are you two?" he asked quietly.

"Pretty serious I guess," Roxas said with a shrug. "I can't imagine us ever breaking up but…" The blonde gnawed on the piercing on his lip. "I can't see us getting married though. It feels too soon."

Marluxia chuckled. "Not everyone has a last minute wedding." Roxas chuckled and rolled his eyes, thinking of the married pair upstairs. "If you think you're serious enough, you could always propose and wait until you're both ready. Some people wait several years through engagement before they finally tie the knot."

"I suppose. I mean I'm only twenty and I don't have the money for any kind of wedding." Roxas crossed his arms and thought it over. Could he do it? Could he propose to Axel? The thought of how much courage he would need daunted him but honestly didn't want to spend the rest of his life without Axel. "What should I do?" Roxas asked.

"Well…" Marluxia mused. "I may know of a jeweler…oof!" Marluxia was surprised when Roxas tackled him in an embrace yet it brought a smile to his face.

"Thank you, Marluxia! I owe you my soul!"

"Feel free to sign the contract on your way out," Marluxia joked. Roxas released and man and they started to iron out the details, his smile never leaving his face.

XxXxX

Valentine's Day.

The weather was surprisingly warm for being so early in the year. Roxas found himself dressing in his old standby of black cargo pants and red long sleeved shirt. He clipped his collar around his neck and straightened the trinket attached to it before attempting to make his hair look a little less like he just rolled out of bed. Considering he had been doing homework in his pajamas for the past six hours, he might as well have. Once he deemed himself worthy, he ventured downstairs and met up with Axel before they drove off to dinner. Like the year before, every restaurant was packed but they managed to get a reservation so they weren't stuck waiting for hours.

After dinner, they went out for ice cream before returning home. Yet as they got out of the car, Roxas headed in the opposite direction of the townhouse. Axel wondered where the blonde was headed and followed, the pair walking to the local park for a stroll. "If I recall, this is what we ended up doing last year," Axel recollected.

"Did we? I suppose we did," Roxas mused. They held hands as they walked through the cooling evening air. All around them the sky turned pink from the rosy setting sun, turning the clouds shades of magenta and rose. It was as if the weather was feeling festive as well. Roxas tried not to think about the box he had in his pants pocket as they walked around and hoped that Axel wouldn't notice his palms were sweating. Although he noted Axel's were fairly sweaty as well so he didn't feel as bad.

"Something on your mind?" Axel asked as they looped through the trees. The branches cast crisscrossing shadows over the sidewalk, making it feel as though they were walking through plaid. Axel gave the blonde's hand a squeeze and they exchanged smiles.

"Just the usual," Roxas replied. He gently cleared his throat, all sorts of nerves bundling up inside of him. "I have been thinking a lot lately."

"Ooh, dangerous," Axel teased, broadening the blonde's smile.

"I was thinking a lot about Demyx and Zexion ever since we had that bachelor party. It made me realize that they truly are bound to each other now and…I guess I started wondering if we would ever get there," Roxas explained.

"You mean marriage?" Roxas nodded. "Hmm, I guess I haven't thought about it too much. I mean, if that was something you'd like to go for I would feel honored to stay by your side. I don't think we could get married right away, though. We're both a little bit broke," Axel joked. He paused as Roxas stopped walking, the blonde's grasp on his hand tightening to levels that made Axel panic. The sophomore's shoulders shook as he fumbled around with his pocket and pulled out a small box. Axel's eyes widened as Roxas struggled to open it with one hand, as his hands were shaking as bad as his shoulders.

"A-Axel," Roxas stammered. He finally got the box open and held it out to the red head, his eyes darting all over the place as his face and ears turned scarlet. "W-w…fuck. Would you marry me?"

The air was silent.

Roxas was shaking so bad Axel felt like he needed to find some duct tape just to keep the poor guy held together. Axel placed a hand on Roxas's cheek and tiled his head so their eyes met. Cerulean blue sparkled with the reflections of the rose-hued sun, shimmering with the brink of tears. Axel's face softened, his lips pulling into a gentle smile.

"Only if you'll marry me," he replied. Blue eyes widened and tears overflowed down the sides of his face. Then their lips crashed together, Roxas wrapped his arms tightly around Axel's neck to pull them closer. It was a needy kiss, one desperate for the other as though the world was ending around them. As they parted, they couldn't help but smile at each other. Axel brushed away the blonde's tears with his thumbs. "Should we try it on?"

"Um, yeah. Sure!" Roxas replied. He removed the ring from the box and showed it to Axel before slipping it onto the man's finger. The band was white gold with a thin inscription of the word _Passion_ written on the inside with fancy lettering. The outside had a single ruby inlaid into the band, making it look like the sun setting behind them.

"Perfect," Axel commented. He grinned and ruffled the blonde's hair, for once Roxas not minding. "But you know, there is one problem I have." The color on Roxas's face drained. "See, I spoke with someone earlier this month about special ordering a certain gift for me so I could propose to this amazing blonde I know, who I happen to love unconditionally." Roxas's brain felt like it had been turned into goo and poured into a waffle iron as Axel reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an identical box to his own. Axel offered Roxas the box and he accepted it, hands shaking as he pushed back the lid. Nestled inside was a while gold band with a sapphire inlaid into it. As he picked it up out of the box, he noticed the identical script of the word _Passion_ written on the inside. "You know," Axel said, leaning in close to Roxas's ear. "Someone once told me that rubies and sapphires are made of the same material. They just happen to look a little bit different."

Whatever composure Roxas had before, it was cast aside as he burst into sobs, wrapping his arms around Axel's and weeping into his chest. He felt the man's hands run up and down his back to soothe him as while Roxas gripped the box and ring in his hands as tightly as he could in fear he would lose them. When he managed to calm down, Axel pulled him away and slid the band onto his finger.

"Perfect," Axel said, looking at the blonde's face. Roxas couldn't stop the blush from spreading over his cheeks and he sniffled, rubbing his dripping nose on his jacket sleeve. "Roxas, would you also marry me?"

"Of course, you ass," Roxas replied, making the red head burst out laughing. "How are you so fucking calm?!"

"Calm? I nearly shit my pants six times tonight," Axel countered. "I'm sweating through my shirt right now to the point it's probably going to be soaked when we get home." Roxas gave a breathy laugh as it merged in with his sniffles. Axel held out a hand and Roxas clasped it tightly, the pair tucking the boxes they hand in their grasp into their pockets. Then they resumed their walk, hand in hand with the setting sun shining down on them. "I think all that stress gave me indigestion," Axel commented as they strolled along. "I'm going to need a Tums when we get back to calm the ulcer drilling into my stomach."

Roxas snorted, shaking his head. "You're so overdramatic," he remarked. They both burst into laughter, hands squeezing as they headed home. ' _Axel's mine now,'_ Roxas thought. ' _And I'm his. It honestly feels like a dream.'_ Roxas took a step closer to Axel and wrapped his other hand around the man's bicep so he was curled up against his arm. They exchanged glances before Roxas rested his head against Axel's shoulder. ' _One more semester. Then our lives start a new chapter.'_

 **A/N-This was a special Christmas update for you guys :D The next (and final!) chapter will be posted next week Wednesday for my normal upload time. May you all have a fun and safe holiday. :)**


	18. 18-Birth By Sleep

**A/N-Keeping it short. Last Chapter guys! :D Read and Enjoy!**

The next month was one of the most stressful times of Axel's life. He tried to focus on his studies but he could feel them start to slip with each day. He continued to pretend his life was going alright whenever Roxas was around but the e-mails were starting to get dangerously scary. The sender found his new address and the notes went from creepy to frightening.

 _How dare you! How dare you try to get away from me!_

 _You've betrayed me. How dare you give yourself to another!_

Those were the messages that worried him the most. Whoever it was saw the ring around his finger and knew he had gotten engaged. Axel prayed that his electronic stalker didn't know it was Roxas and he found himself praying often that the stranger never saw Roxas's ring. As the month shifted into the later weeks of March, he started to receive death threats and that was the last straw he needed to find some help. So he confided in the only person he could think of.

Marluxia stared at the screen with a deep scowl on his countenance. He scrolled through the latest batch of e-mails, each one more disturbing than the next. "I know your secret. You will be punished," Marluxia read under his breath. "And you said you've been getting these since September?" Axel muttered an affirmation. Marluxia exhaled in a huff and leaned back in Axel's chair. "This is serious."

"It started to drop off around Christmas so I assumed it was just someone I had class with. But then they started up again about a week into this semester," Axel noted.

"And now they're threatening your life. Why haven't you reported this yet?" Marluxia pressed.

"I thought it was a prank at first. Then I figured it was someone trying to get attention through spam but now…now I don't know." Marluxia grunted and pulled out his phone, calling up campus security. Axel crossed his arms over his chest and waited as his roommate talked to the person on the other side of the line. A bundle of anxiety started sending a cataclysm of fear tingling down his spine as Marluxia fell quiet, the pink haired man's lips twitching. Finally, Marluxia thanked the person and hung up.

"They're going to look into it but they don't think it's all that serious," Marluxia said quietly. "They're going to have someone at IT track down the e-mails through your old school e-mail account to see if they can find anything. They'll contact you if and when they do."

"They're not going to find anything," Axel snapped. Marluxia shot his roommate a look and Axel let out a huff. "I'll request another change in e-mail. Hopefully that will hold them off long enough for me to try to figure something out."

"How long did it take before they found the new one last time?" Marluxia asked.

"About a week," Axel replied. "Which is about the amount of time it takes the campus to get the new e-mail onto the student web-book."

The pink haired man rubbed his chin with his fingers. "What if we set up this new account but don't use it? Set up a private e-mail instead not on the school server with an obscure name that even they wouldn't be able to recognize," Marluxia suggested.

"That might work. I can notify my professors…"

"No. Just in case they let it slip to a student," Marluxia interrupted. "I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"You have a point." Axel shifted his eyes to the screen where a new e-mail pinged into his inbox. He didn't need to read the entire message to get the chills. The preview alone had him on the verge of passing out.

 _You will weep as your beloved dies in your arms._

XxXxX

April.

Axel's birthday was fast approaching and he felt squeamish. His private e-mail account was working just as Marluxia hoped and he was able to route all his important campus notifications to his private account. However, there were times he needed to go into his campus e-mail to send an attachment to a classmate and seeing the overwhelming number of messages from his electronic stalker made him sick to his stomach.

And then, they stopped.

Axel checked the last sent date and it was over a week ago. He felt a little relieved but at the same time more worried than ever. Did they finally give up? We're they planning something behind the scenes? It made him all the more worried about Roxas when he left for classes. If the blonde was so much as a minute later than his usual time Axel was ready to phone the police. But he kept his trust in Roxas to come home safely and he always did. It didn't stop him from worrying though.

It was one afternoon on a Saturday where he was lying on the couch staring at the ceiling when he found himself locked in a cycle of panic. It was getting to the point he was seriously considering transferring schools for his last year of college. He twisted the ring on his finger around and around to the point the engraving started to scratch his skin. His unease was not unnoticed by the blonde working on his biochemistry at the coffee table. In fact, Roxas found it harder and harder to study when he knew Axel was stewing behind him. But no matter how many times he asked, the red head would not divulge his true worries to him.

Roxas chewed on his eraser as he looked over his structures scribbled on the page. He compared them to the books pristine diagrams and determined he was getting sloppy in his notes again. He glanced back at the red head behind him still spinning the ring on his finger. If he didn't know any better, he would say the man was possessed.

"You ready for your birthday?" Roxas asked, hoping to lighten the mood. The red head didn't respond. "Ax!"

"Hm?" Axel hummed, looking over at Roxas. "Sorry, did you say something?"

"Yeah. Are you ready for your birthday?" the blonde asked again.

"Sure, I guess."

Roxas frowned. "You don't sound too excited. Feeling old already?" he teased. When Axel didn't reply and the peridot gaze shifted back to the ceiling. Roxas grew fed up with Axel avoiding the problem at hand. He pushed off the floor and squeezed onto the couch so Axel's head rested on his thighs. Roxas looked deep into the man's eyes, noted the heavy bags beneath them. "Ax, tell me what's wrong." The senior's lips morphed into a thin line. "You're not protecting me by keeping me in the dark. You're only hurting the both of us." Roxas ran his fingers through the man's scarlet locks, running them over his scalp to soothe his nerves.

"I'm scared," Axel admitted. He stopped twisting his ringer and clenched his hands together to keep them from trembling. Roxas reached out and clasped one of his hands around Axel's, giving them a squeeze.

"I'm here for you," Roxas cooed. Looking up at the tender, cerulean gaze, Axel couldn't hold back. He told Roxas everything, venting his frustrations from classes to idiotic classmates before finally spilling the news about his e-mail stalker. Roxas didn't speak the entire time nor did he seem worried when Axel brought up the treats against his own life. He was like a rock, one Axel desperately needed to cling to. As he finished, the room fell silent. The only sound was from Riku's TV echoing from upstairs. Roxas leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Axel's forehead. "I'm not going anywhere," Roxas promised.

"B-but…!" Axel tried to protest. Roxas shushed him by placing a finger over his mouth.

"Remember, even if we're apart we made a promise to each other," Roxas reminded. His finger slid down the man's chin until it tapped the collar around Axel's neck. "I'll always be waiting for you." The tears welled up in Axel's eyes so fast he didn't even realize he was crying until his cheeks were already wet. He sat up and pulled the blonde into his chest, crushing him in his embrace. Roxas wrapped his arms around the red head and rubbed his knuckles over his spine. "You're okay," Roxas reassured him. "You're safe here with me." Axel could only hold onto the blonde and his words, praying he was right. Roxas started to sing softly in his ear, the familiar words of ' _Passion'_ in flawless Japanese washing over him, caressing him like a warm blanket. The weight of the world seemed to lift away from Axel's shoulders and his eyes grew heavy.

A smile played with the corners of Roxas's lips as he felt his boyfriend's grip relaxing around him. He rested Axel's head against the back of the couch and kissed away the tears from his face. By the time he reached the last strains of the song, Axel was asleep. Roxas placed a kiss to the man's temple.

"I love you," he whispered in Axel's ear. He rose from the couch and grabbed the blanket from his bed, wrapping it around the red head so he would be swathed in Roxas's scent. A frown pulled at his lips as he watched his lover sleep. A dark foreboding filled up inside of him, one that reminded him of that day so many years ago. ' _Please just let us make it through the year,'_ he prayed.

XxXxX

The next week Axel's birthday came and the group went out to eat to celebrate. Axel seemed to be in better spirits since his breakdown the week before but Roxas could tell he was still anxious. They had talked briefly about changing schools and Roxas was okay with it if it meant Axel felt better. On a brighter note, Riku and Sora were talking again. Sora had requested his space and Riku granted it, allowing them to fall back into their normal friendship. Roxas could tell there was still some strain between them but he didn't want to push either of them one way or the other. He noted there were times when Riku nudged Sora and Sora took his hand but they wouldn't look at each other. Dinner happened to be one of those nights.

"So what's the plan?" Demyx asked, leaning back in his seat. Then he turned to Axel. "What's the birthday boy want to do?"

"First off, I'm not a little kid," Axel shot back.

"Could have fooled me," Marluxia muttered into his drink. Roxas snorted and almost choked on his cheesecake. Seifer had to give him a whack on the back to knock the gooey lump out of his windpipe.

"What about bowling? We haven't gone since we ran into Roxas at the bowling alley," Riku brought up.

"I'd be game for that," Sora agreed, shoveling his own cheesecake into his mouth. Riku's gaze flicked between Sora and Roxas, wondering if the two weren't actually twins separated at birth with their obsession with sweets and ice cream.

"I'd rather just watch a movie," Axel admitted.

"Okay, then what are we watching?" Demyx asked.

"Pence got me this anime flick we should watch," Roxas brought up.

"Ooh, you mean the one we watched last month?" Sora asked. The blonde nodded. "That was good! Futuristic plots, giant fighting robots, guns and way too many oversized boobs." Seifer chuckled and toasted his glass to the option.

"Maybe a double feature?" Zexion offered, not too keen on the fan-service.

"Sure. We can figure out the details when we get home," Axel agreed. They paid for their bill and rose from their seats. As they headed outside, the setting sun was shining bright into their eyes, making it feel like they had walked out of a dark movie theater. Not that Roxas would ever admit it but he loved seeing Axel in the setting sun. It seemed to make his hair look like it was on fire with a soft, golden aura. He made a mental note to sneak a picture of it someday.

"Oh! Axel. Good to see you." The red head turned at his name and he found a tall man striding towards him. He had shoulder length silver hair and striking yellow eyes with a hint of tangerine mixed in. He wore a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and black slacks. A pair of reading glasses was tucked into his shirt pocket.

"Professor Xemnas," Axel greeted with a nod.

"I hope your studies are going well," Xemnas stated. "You seem to be stressed out in lecture lately."

"Just the stress of upper level classes getting to me," Axel reassured him.

"I see," Xemnas noted. Behind Axel, the group was starting to head back to the cars, although Roxas stuck close to his side.

"Oh, I suppose I should introduce you," Axel brought up. "Professor, this is my friend Roxas. Roxas, this is one of my Professors in the pharmacy program. Roxas is studying chemistry."

"How useful," Xemnas remarked.

"Nice to meet you," Roxas said, offering his hand. Xemnas accepted it and gave it a firm shake. He paused as he noticed the band wrapped around Roxas's finger, his lips turning into a thin line.

"That's a pretty piece of jewelry you're wearing," Xemnas noted, turning Roxas's hand over.

"Oh. Yeah…it was a gift," Roxas explained.

"It even matches the one Axel's wearing." Roxas felt a cold aura encompass him and he wanted to jerk his hand away. Something about the man bothered him, like a cold, slimy eel slithering around him in a dark cavern.

"W-we're such good friends we got matching rings," the blonde lied with a strained chuckle. When Xemnas released his hand, Roxas retracted it like he had been burned.

"It must be nice to have such good friends these days. Why don't I give you my card? I'm always willing to help out a friend of Axel's. He's one of my favorite students after all." Xemnas reached around to his back pocket to fish out his wallet. Roxas tried to get his nerves to calm down but he felt like he was starting to suffocate. It reminded him all too much of Xigbar. There was a flash of black and Roxas found himself staring straight into a barrel of a gun pointed at his face. His eyes went wide, heart freezing in his chest.

 _No…_

There was a loud bang and Roxas crashed into the sidewalk, skinning his arm and elbow on the concrete. He heard Marluxia shout Axel's name but all Roxas could focus on was the ringing in his ears. His body felt frozen as he pushed himself off the ground. Axel staggered back, hand pressed to his shoulder where blood was pouring down his shirt. Pain was written all over his face. Roxas felt the flashbacks slam into his mind, seeing Cloud, Leon and Aerith's dead faces once more.

 _Not this time._

Roxas snapped himself out of his daze and caught sight of Xemnas sprinting off down the street. The blonde picked himself off the ground and took off after the man. His teeth clenched together in his jaw as he inched closer to the man who shot his beloved.

 _Never again._

Xemnas turned into an alley and Roxas darted after him. The man slowed as he reached a dead end, a chain link fence blocking his way. Roxas slowed as he neared his approach, the gun pointed at his chest as Xemnas panted like a cornered animal.

"It was you," Roxas seethed. "You're the one who had sent those e-mails."

"You have no idea what he did to me. How much he hurt me!" Xemnas barked. "He was one of my best students. _Is_ one of my best. He deserves to be with the best. But you took him from me."

"He was never yours to begin with!" Roxas snapped. He took a step forward but Xemnas jerked his gun, reminding Roxas he was close to getting shot again.

"All I wanted was for him to be with me. But he was too busy fucking you to notice! You should both die! Die and rot in this rotten world!" Roxas dropped as the gun fired and he bolted forward, the bullet brushing the tips of his hair. His heart hammered in his chest as he felt his body move on its own accord. He rammed his shoulder into Xemnas's gut and the man gasped in pain, the gun flying from his hand. Roxas slugged the professor across the face, his knuckles screaming in pain as they threatened to break under the force. He swung again and hissed as he felt a sharp pain slice across his cheek. Roxas leapt back as Xemnas held a switch blade in front of him. A thin red line appeared on his face, tiny droplets of blood leaking out.

Roxas charged forward and ducked under the knife. He slammed his elbow into Xemnas's stomach but received a blow to the head from the butt of the elder man's blade. Xemnas grabbed the front of Roxas's shirt and began beating the blonde over and over with the knife's handle. Roxas felt his nose break and blood flowed out over his upper lip.

There was a shout and Roxas was ripped from of Xemnas's grasp. He staggered back, spitting the metallic fluid from his mouth, and watched as Seifer disarmed Xemnas and pinned his arms behind his back. The silver haired man whipped his head back and landed a blow to Seifer's face, managing to squirm free. He scooped up the knife and buried it into Seifer's side, the blonde wincing as he dropped to a knee.

"Leave him alone!" Roxas barked. "It's me you want!" Xemnas turned his gaze back to the blonde glaring daggers at him. He kicked Seifer in the head, sending the man sprawling as he tried to stand, and walked quickly towards Roxas. The sophomore tried to dodge out of the way but the knee he received to the diaphragm knocked the air out of his lungs. Xemnas pinned him to the ground, his large hands crushing his windpipe. Roxas struggled to pry them free but he started to drown in the blood leaking down the back of his throat.

Xemnas screamed in rage and whirled around, finding Seifer burying the man's own knife deep into his back. Roxas tried to call out the older man's name but found he couldn't. His voice box felt like it was been crushed, smothering out all sound. All he could do was watch as Seifer sparred with Xemnas. Seifer was quick to retaliate, despite the fluids leaking down his side. All those hours of pummeling the gyms boxing bag came into fruition as he slammed his fists into Xemnas's body. Roxas's body shook as he pried himself off of the ground. He heard footsteps and someone skidded to a stop next to him, finding Sora with a first aid kit tucked under his arm.

"Hold still," Sora requested. "The police are on their way." Roxas wanted to protest but he still couldn't find his voice. All that came out was a muffled grunt. His eyes shifted beyond the brunette as he heard shouting, his eyes widening as he say Axel limping around the corner.

' _No!'_ Roxas cried in his head. Marluxia was trying his best to get Axel to stop but the red head was determined to reach Roxas. If Roxas didn't want to punch him in the face for being so idiotic, he would have hugged the man for coming after him. The blonde shoved Sora aside as the brunette worked on trying to stop the blood flowing out of his nose and forced himself to stand.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Sora pressed.

Roxas turned as he heard metal scraping against pavement and saw Seifer getting whacked over the head by Xemnas, who had managed to get his gun. Time slowed around him as the barrel turned back towards his chest. Roxas knew what was coming and he didn't have the energy to move out of the way. He heard a gasp and then there was a tight grip on his arm. Then his ears rang as the gunshot echoed through the air.

Roxas blinked, finding his sight marred by fabric. Pain ripped through his abdomen as something hot sat lodged in his diaphragm. As he inhaled, it hurt to breathe to the point he wanted to scream, yet he couldn't as his throat remained closed off. His eyes shifted upwards to see the glowing green gems staring back at him. A faint smile crept onto the man's lips, a thin red line trailing out onto his chin. Roxas didn't even notice the tight grip around him until it began to weaken.

"Roxas," Axel coughed, splattering blood over the blonde's face. "Don't forget…we promised…" Roxas's eyes widened as the light started to fade from the green gems. He reached out for the man but he slipped through his fingers.

Sora caught Axel as he collapsed, blood leaking all over his clothes. Seifer tackled Xemnas and bashed the man's head against the ground until he fell unconscious, several teeth lying on the pavement while crimson fluid leaked out of his orifices. Roxas's knees gave out and Marluxia managed to catch him before his broke his knees.

The sound of sirens echoed in the distance yet it just blurred in with everything else. Roxas blinked and he found himself staring up at a ceiling with several faces hovering over him. He didn't know them but out of the corner of his eye he could see Sora, the brunette's face twisted up in fear. Roxas felt time slip by him again and when he blinked he found the ceiling rushing past him. More voices were shouting, particularly to his left. Roxas managed to turn his head, finding there was something over his face. A mask? What was that for? He saw a blur of red as it was rushed past him, several people shouting and running about with machines.

"Clear!" someone shouted. Roxas's eyes widened as he watched as the person on the other gurney jerk as electricity shot through his system. Yet even then his body fell still. Something cold slid down Roxas's cheek and he felt his fingers reaching out towards the other person. Who was it? Who where they trying to save? He didn't know but he had to get to them. He needed to be next to them.

The people around the red headed patient took a step back and silence filled the air. Someone placed a hand on the man's wrist and shook his head. "Six o' eight," they announced. They turned to someone off to the side. "I'm sorry. He's gone."

"Oh God," Marluxia gasped, his hand pressing over his mouth. There was shouting as a group hurried into the room, two people rushing to comfort Marluxia while a silver haired person went to Sora, tears pouring out of the brunette's eyes. Why was he crying? Sora never cried. Roxas forced his eyes upwards as he felt something on his hand, finding Seifer coming into focus.

"Rox, he's gone. Axel's dead," Seifer stated. The man had a hand pressed to his side where a bunch of gauze was holding back the fluids leaking out.

What? No, that can't be right. Axel was safe with Marluxia. He was coming to get Roxas. Then the image of Axel's face flashed in his mind and his heart seized in his chest. Roxas gave a strangled cry and he lashed out, pulling at the tubes in his body. Several nurses tried to pin him down but Seifer asked them to step back. He helped Roxas sit up, which made it feel like Roxas was tearing in half. The younger blonde staggered as he was mostly carried over to the red head lying limp on the gurney. Roxas choked on a sob and his knees gave out, Seifer catching him.

"Just a little bit more," Seifer encouraged, although his face was turning pale from the strain against his own body. He helped Roxas stand against and assisted the blonde onto the gurney next to Axel so they were lying side by side. Roxas wrapped his hands around Axel's, fingers brushing over the band beneath his tips.

' _Wait for me,'_ Roxas requested. He gagged as there was a twinge in his gut. His lungs tried to suck in air to no success and he felt his mind grow dizzy. He felt the world slip away from him, his eyes closing with the sight of Axel's face next to him. ' _Wait for me…'_ Then his body shuddered and fell still. One of the doctors stepped over to the blonde and checked his vitals.

"He's gone," he announced. Then he checked the time. "Six thirteen. I'm sorry."

"It's what he would have wanted," Zexion said, tears spilling down his face. Demyx pulled him into his arms and the man burst into sobs. Next to the gurney Seifer angrily rubbed the tears from his face with no avail before he allowed himself to get led off to surgery for his side. Riku held onto Sora as the brunette wept, clinging to his friend's shirt. Marluxia sat on the floor with his face in his hands.

 _Not like this. Not like this._

XxXxX

"Daddy! Where are we going!" the little girl with pink hair complained.

"Patience," Marluxia replied, smiling at this daughter. Tifa offered a smile towards the girl before shifting her gaze to the man walking next to her. He looked tired and worn as he always did, but today was different. Today they had taken a special trip far out of their way to visit those he once knew. As they walked amongst the graves, the girl picked up pedals of a batch of white flowers that had torn apart in the breeze. She found one with only one pedal missing and tugged on his father's sleeve, offering to the man as he looked down at her. Marluxia accepted it and twirled it around between his fingers, wondering who else had received flowers from their friends still living.

As they approached their destination, they found they weren't the first ones there. Seifer turned as the trio approached, his hand on a young teen's shoulder. Sephiroth gave the trio a nod and leaned in closer to his brother's side, his legal guardian ever since Seifer graduated from college.

"How long as it been?" Marluxia asked as they approached. Tifa and her daughter placed the flowers they carried over the pair of graves at their feet.

"Eight years," Seifer replied. He thought back to his last month of college and how torn up the townhouse had been. When Roxas's and Axel's families came to clear out their belongings, Ven and Naminé never stopped crying. Auron and Axel's parents weren't much better. Rikku, although never without a scowl, had tears in her eyes most of the time as well. When they left, Auron failed to find Roxas's headphones and they ended up leaving without them. What they didn't know was Seifer had hidden them in one of his drawers along with a folded picture Roxas had received from his sister over spring break. He wasn't the only one who had taken a memento. When he went upstairs to check on Marluxia, he found the pink haired man staring at the glass cat figurine between his fingers.

It was all they had left.

Seifer shifted his gaze back to the graves at their feet. The epitaphs read each name followed by the dates of their life and the inscription ' _To Meet Again in the Next Life'_. Each had been buried with their rings and collars, as they would have wanted. The funeral was small, consisting of close friends and relatives. Seifer had given his condolences to Hayner, Pence and Olette at that time, the brunette the most torn up of the three about the loss of his close friend and previous roommate.

"Do you think they knew?" Marluxia asked quietly, pulling Seifer from his thoughts. He watched his daughter continue to collect the stray pedals scattered around the graveyard, picking them up one at a time.

"Yeah. I think so," Seifer replied.

"Do you really think they'll find each other in another life?" Tifa asked. Marluxia wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"If anyone is destined to find each other again, it'll be those two," Seifer commented. "They always had a knack of finding each other in strange places."

"I sure hope you're right," Marluxia murmured. He shifted his eyes to the sky where the sun didn't seem to shine as bright against the blue sky. ' _I pray you're right.'_

XxXxX

The sounds of the waves crashed in the distance while soft sand warmed their skin. They lay together, heads resting on the other's ankles while their knees tucked together like two perfect pieces of a puzzle. Soft, white wings rested behind them as they lay in silence, each enjoying the quiet. Around their necks were metal shackles with numbers imprinted into them. One read VIII and the other XIII.

One of the two stirred and cracked open their eyes. They reached out and brushed their fingers over the other's, prompting the other to open their eyes as well.

"It's time," the one murmured.

"I know," the other replied. They clasped their hands together, a faint glow forming in their grasp. "See you in the next life, Axel."

"Yeah. I'll be waiting, partner." A sad smile rose up on the other's lips. The shackles around their necks glowed and they were ripped apart in a flurry of white feathers. Left behind in the sands were two shining gems imbedded onto white gold bands. One was red. The other blue. For the first time ever, the bands were interlocked with each other.

And they forever would be.

* * *

Roxas stared at the dial as he twisted it around and around, his mind automatically putting in the code without thinking about it. He pried open the metal door and began organizing his books inside. It hadn't been that long since winter break yet he was already craving another vacation. His mind thought of spring break, warm sunshine and eating ice cream with his friends. For a moment, he was absorbed in his own little world. It was interrupted by someone knocking on the metal door of his locker and Roxas stepped back to find Leon leaning against the lockers next to him.

"Hey," Roxas greeted.

"You're going to be late for class again if you keep staring into your locker like that," Leon teased with a smirk. Roxas frowned and quickly finished getting his books for his next class. As he shut his locker, his mind was distracted towards the end of the hall where he heard laughter floating above the rest of the chatter. His chest gave a tight squeeze as he watched Cloud and Aerith walk together towards their next class. "You're spacing out again," Leon remarked, lightly smacking his friend over the back of his head as the brunette walked past.

Roxas stumbled forward a step from the momentum and scrabbled to keep his books stacked in his arms. He heard his friend snicker as the blonde hurried to keep up. They walked along the boring halls, void of posters or a much needed fresh coat of paint, and headed upstairs towards their English class. As Roxas turned to go right down the hall, he caught a flash of red off to his left. He paused for a moment, watching as the red vanished into the sea of elder students, before hurrying after Leon.

While in class, Roxas found he couldn't concentrate. He kept thinking about the person he saw in the hallway and it was making him want to squirm in his seat. During the last ten minutes of class, they always had designated reading time, although for once the blonde wasn't keen on opening his book. He asked his teacher for the bathroom pass and headed off down the hall towards the wing where all the senior lockers were located.

To his surprise he spotted the flash of red once more, this time poking out from behind one of the metal locker doors. Roxas crept closer, curious to what he would find. The sound of a textbook clattering against the tile floor caused him to jump. Roxas found himself frozen in place as the red head bent down to pick up the book. The elder caught sight of the blonde watching him and straightened up, peering around the edge of the locker door. His skin was looking pale and his eyes were rimmed with heavy bags.

"What do you want?" the elder asked, his voice a bit hoarse.

Roxas found himself reeling for something to say. The elder's intense, green stare had rendered all thoughts in his mind useless. His eyes shot to where the red head's locker was, noticing his backpack was already rather full on the floor. "Cleaning out your locker?" Roxas asked. The man's eyes narrowed, causing chills to run down the freshman's spine.

"Yeah, what about it?" the elder muttered, turning back to his work.

"Are you leaving school?" Roxas asked, taking a couple steps closer.

"Transfer."

"Oh," the blonde said. He watched the red head continue his work for a bit before the elder noticed he was still standing there.

"Can I help you with something?" the red head snapped. Roxas tensed up again, feeling the heat from the elder teen's glare.

"Y-you're Axel, right?" Roxas stammered.

"So what?" the red head quipped, his grip tightening on his locker door. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Just some freshman," Roxas said, feeling like he had just vomited his words he spoke so fast. He shifted his weight foot to foot as he tried to piece together his thoughts. "A lot of people look up to you, you know."

Axel snorted. "Not anymore." He turned his attention back to his locker, cussing as another book collapsed onto the floor. He bent over to pick it up and found himself frozen as the blonde's voice spoke up once more.

"It's going to be really quiet around school without you." Axel peered around his locker door to find the younger teen staring at the floor, a faint smile on the corners of his lips. "I don't think it's going to be the same without you around."

"Hmph. It won't be long before everyone eventually forgets about me," Axel countered.

"That's not true!" Roxas shot back, surprising both of the teens. "I know I won't be able to forget about you. You light up the halls whenever you're around and people love to be around you and I sometimes I get really jealous because I know I'd never get to hang out with you but I wanted to and…" Roxas stopped, his face turning a deep shade of pink. His eyes widened as Axel slowly stood, the red head's eyes now unreadable. "Shit! I-I'm sorry!" Roxas covered his mouth with his hands to keep him from saying anything else embarrassing. His heart hammered in his chest as Axel strode over to him, the red head towering over the short freshman. Roxas pinched his eyes shut, fearing the elder would hit him.

Instead he felt a warm hand rest on his head, fingers gentle in his hair. Roxas cracked open his eyes only to have them widen as a pair of warm lips pressing between his cheekbone and his ear. Roxas's cheeks felt like they were on fire. Axel pulled away with a faint smile on his lips and if Roxas hadn't been staring off into space, he would have noticed the glint in the elder teen's eyes.

"Thank you," Axel whispered. He turned away from the blonde and returned to his locker, packing his belongings with a much slower rhythm. One filled with sorrow and pain. Roxas lowered his hands from his mouth before turning and making a mad dash back to his class. He kept his face lowered the rest of the day to hide the embarrassment on his features but it was no use.

He was falling for Axel.

"Roxas…" The blonde didn't look up as he heard his friends calling to him after school that day. He had to shove all thoughts of the red head from his mind. His mother didn't approve of such thinking and the last thing he wanted was to be thrown out on the streets while still in high school. He had to forget the elder teen. Roxas's fist curled up the fabric of his shirt as a deep, stabbing pain erupted in his chest.

"Roxas."

"I can't…I have to forget…" Roxas hissed under his breath. The stabbing pain became a crushing weight, making it hard to breathe. Roxas felt like he was starting to drown.

"Roxas!"

XxXxX

The blonde leapt awake as his brother slapped his across the face. Roxas blinked a few times before realizing Ven was sitting on his chest, the boy scowling at his elder brother. "Good gravy, you took forever to wake up. You'll never get to school on time if you don't get your butt out of bed," Ven scolded. Roxas blinked again and tried to process what his brother was saying for a moment. He wasn't in school anymore. He had graduated, thank God, last spring. Why was Ven waking him up to go to a place he never wanted to return to? Then it hit him his brother was talking about college and he remembered today was the day he was supposed to drive all the way out to KHU.

"Mm," Roxas hummed, staring up at the ceiling as he let his body go through its morning routine of waking up.

"Are you going to get super smart?" Ven asked, sitting back on his brother's thighs.

"The only people who get smarter are those who are already are," Roxas countered.

"So, in other words, you're wasting a lot of cash to get a fancy sheet of paper," Ven rationalized.

"That's the plan." A brief silence fell between the pair before Ven slid off his brother's lap and landed on the floor with a gentle thump. Roxas listened to Ven's footsteps retreating out of his room and he was left alone in solitude. His eyes peered over at the empty space that would no longer be his room once he left the thresh hold of his front door. Not that he'd be sad, seeing as there wasn't anything left for him to miss.

Roxas peeled himself off of his mattress with a groaned and rubbed his temples with his palms. "Another dream about him…" he murmured. He had been trying every day since he graduated to forget his high school life but there was one facet that kept nagging him on a weekly basis. What bothered him most is the fact most of the details of his dream faded by the time he woke up. Even on the best of days the clearest image in his head was a smear of red against his mind.

Shaking his thoughts away from sleep, he instead focused on getting ready for the day. He went through his bathroom routine, got dressed, and finished the minute amount of packing remaining that hadn't yet been shoved into his car. He was glad he would only need to take one trip because there was no way he was going to come back for a second load once he left. And time wasn't the issue. After a quick breakfast and a quick goodbye to his siblings, he threw his last bag into his car and headed off across the country.

It wasn't until the afternoon he was able to get a break from the hustle of his first day on campus. His roommate was nice enough, although he was already getting tired of the other freshmen students on campus. It didn't help his floor RA had a far too outgoing personality. Deciding to get the task of finding his books at the bookstore out of the way, he headed across campus.

As he was putting his books in his basket, he could hear a couple of guys behind him chatting away about some new music they were anticipating for the upcoming fall. Roxas tuned them out and continued to pile his English books inside his basket. He wasn't all that fond of English but he didn't mind reading so he figured it would help fill out the dead time he had between classes. Checking out turned into a nightmare with over an hour wait just to get to the cashier and someone bumping into him quite rudely. Roxas was glad he was tired since he wasn't in the mood to snap at the idiot and let the incident slide.

While he waited for the cashier to finish putting all his books into reusable fabric bags, adorned with the vomit inducing Papou fruit he hated so much, he caught a flash of color out of the corner of his eye. Normally he would have ignored it, in fact he ignored most of the flashes in the corners of his eyes, however this one really tugged at him for some reason. He turned his head just enough to catch sight of a pair of older students leaving the bookstore. One had styled, dirty blonde hair and the other an unnatural shade of red. Something kept trying to click in his mind to the point he missed when the cashier told him, three times no less, to swipe his credit card. Roxas jerked himself out of his daze and paid, hauling his bags onto his shoulders.

He hurried in the direction he saw the pair vanish but by the time he reached the front doors, they were nowhere in sight. His mood deflated a bit and he pulled out his phone to figure out what he was going to do next. He stumbled as someone bumped into him from behind, causing his phone to fly out of his hand and skid over the concrete. Roxas stared at his empty hand in horror before his eyes whipped over to where his phone sat on the sidewalk.

"Shit! I'm sorry!" Roxas whirled around to find the dirty blonde holding up his hands defensively. "I totally wasn't paying attention. I hope its okay."

"It better be," Roxas growled. He turned to go pick it up and found his lungs taking a sharp intake of breath as he watched the red head he spotted before picking it up for him. The teen found himself staring as the man dusted off the case and checked it for scratches, his green eyes scouring over each detail with such intense scrutiny that Roxas found his mouth growing dry. He didn't know why. It wasn't like he knew the man or thought he was hot or… Roxas found a wave of heat flash over his face and he quickly shifted his gaze away from the red head.

"Looks like just a couple of nicks on the case," the man said, offering the teen his phone back. Roxas snatched it back, purposely avoiding the man's cat-like gaze, and muttered a weak thanks as he shoved his phone back into his pocket. When there was an awkward pause, he looked up to find the read head staring at him like he had the phone. His green eyes flicked over the blonde for a good minute before the dirty blonde spoke up.

"Well, sorry about that…again. We need to get going, Ax, or Marluxia's going to have our hides," dirty blonde stated.

"Right. Sorry for the inconvenience," the red head apologized with a smile. Roxas felt like he wanted to melt into his shoes as the pair took their leave down the sidewalk. He turned in the opposite direction and wandered around the entire main drag of campus to find where his classes were in order to preoccupy his thoughts.

The first day of class he was hit with another surprise as the red head walked into the room for their English Lit class. Roxas kept his head down and the man didn't engage him. The blonde peeked out from his bangs and it didn't appear as though the red head had noticed he was there or if he did he didn't say anything. What bothered the blonde was the fact the man sat directly in front of him during class. There was something about the man that bothered Roxas to no end. It was like an insatiable itch that he just couldn't quite reach.

It wasn't long before he had another run in with the infamous red head. Disgruntled over math and following Olette's advice to try a tutor, Roxas had made his way to the library for the evening to discover that the tutoring center had already closed for the night. He spotted the man reading as he was leaving and found himself wandering over for reasons even he couldn't come up with. Maybe his feet were possessed. When the man noticed him staring, Roxas felt his mouth go dry again as he stared back into the green eyes. He actually missed the man's question until and didn't notice until the elder started giving the teen a concerned look.

"Sorry?" Roxas said.

"I asked may I help you?" the man asked again.

"No. I mean…" Roxas chewed on his lip, realizing that his piercing was no longer there to chew on and stopped. "Have we met before?"

"I picked up your phone the other day," the man replied, his confused look not leaving his face.

"I mean before that," Roxas clarified.

"Not that I know of," the man stated. "You want anything else? We have a quiz tomorrow that I'd really like to study for."

"I'm aware," Roxas noted. The teen willed up what little courage was left inside of himself to speak up again. "What's your name?"

"Axel," the red head replied. "Got it memorized?" Axel tapped his temple with a finger and Roxas felt another cog in his mind click, although the final deduction kept out of his reach.

"Why? Are you going to quiz me later?" Roxas quipped.

"I might," Axel said with a smirk. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What's your name?"

"Oh. It's…uh, it's Roxas," the blonde stammered. "Got it memorized?" he mirrored, making the man chuckle.

"Sure. See you around then, Roxas." The man turned back to his book but kept watch of the blonde out of the corner of his eye as he left the library. Axel felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips as he stared at the empty words on the page. There was a small glow in his chest as his mind waded into far off memories. "You found me," he murmured. Then he turned the page.

XxXxX

 **Author Note:**

 **OMIGOSH GUYS! WE DID IT!**

 ***throws confetti***

 **I'm just going to say I was going through some serious feels writing this last chapter. What an ending!**

 **Thank you so much for all the follows, favorites and reviews! I seriously couldn't have done this without you guys. These past three years have been amazing and the support on each one of my stories is beyond what I could have ever hoped for. The original _You Found Me_ surpassed even my expectations (and it's all thanks to you guys!).**

 **While updates may have been slow at times, and my brain turned to mush, you all kept me going. So thank you each and every one of my beloved readers. ^^**

 **Yes, this is my last fic. I'm hanging up the coat but I may pop in for a one-shot every now and then. :) Once _Forgotten Waters _ is finished (aren't I done with that yet? :S) my stories will be complete. I won't be gone, though. I'll still be there in the background reading, reviewing and cheering you other inspiring writers on.**

 **I do hope that good things will come about with the release of _Kingdom Hearts 3_ and hopefully it will spark some new life into the fandom (it's been too long Square! Give us a game already!). And even if our favorite pairings don't end up together in the canon I know, like all fandoms, we will always have our nostalgic memories as we sail onwards on our beloved ships (be them big or small). Until then, best of luck on all of your future projects.**

 **And happy reading. :D**

 **~superspreegirl89~**


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